[Efficacy of quick repositioning maneuver for posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in different age groups].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hao; Li, Jinrang; Guo, Pengfei; Tian, Shiyu; Li, Keliang

2015-12-01

To observe the short and long-term efficacy of quick repositioning maneuver for posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (PC-BPPV) in different age groups. The clinical data of 113 adult patients with single PC-BPPV who underwent quick repositioning maneuver from July 2009 to February 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. The quick repositioning maneuver was to roll the patient from involved side to healthy side in the coronal plane for 180° as quickly as possible. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to different ages: young group (age group (45 ≤ age group (≥ 60 years). The short and long term outcomes of the three groups were observed. The left ear was involved in 58 cases (51.3%) and the right ear in 55 cases (48.7%). The short term improvement rates of the young, middle-age and the old groups were 92.5%, 93.6% and 92.3% respectively, and the long term improvement rate was 90.0%, 85.1% and 73.1% respectively. There was no significant difference among the three groups in short and long term outcomes (P > 0.05). The recurrence rate of the three groups was 5.0%, 6.4% and 15.4% respectively, also no significant difference (P > 0.05). The quick repositioning maneuver along the coronal plane for PC-BPPV has a definite effect for every age groups. The method is simple, rapid and easy to master, and the patients are tolerated the maneuver well without evident side effect.

The Virtual Space Physics Observatory: Quick Access to Data and Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Cornwell, Carl; Roberts, D. Aaron; McGuire, Robert E.

2006-01-01

The Virtual Space Physics Observatory (VSPO; see http://vspo.gsfc.nasa.gov) has grown to provide a way to find and access about 375 data products and services from over 100 spacecraft/observatories in space and solar physics. The datasets are mainly chosen to be the most requested, and include most of the publicly available data products from operating NASA Heliophysics spacecraft as well as from solar observatories measuring across the frequency spectrum. Service links include a "quick orbits" page that uses SSCWeb Web Services to provide a rapid answer to questions such as "What spacecraft were in orbit in July 1992?" and "Where were Geotail, Cluster, and Polar on 2 June 2001?" These queries are linked back to the data search page. The VSPO interface provides many ways of looking for data based on terms used in a registry of resources using the SPASE Data Model that will be the standard for Heliophysics Virtual Observatories. VSPO itself is accessible via an API that allows other applications to use it as a Web Service; this has been implemented in one instance using the ViSBARD visualization program. The VSPO will become part of the Space Physics Data Facility, and will continue to expand its access to data. A challenge for all VOs will be to provide uniform access to data at the variable level, and we will be addressing this question in a number of ways.

78 FR 76711 - Royal City Charter Coach Lines Ltd.-Acquisition of Control-Quick Coach Lines Ltd. d/b/a Quick...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-18

... current ownership of Quick, and its wholly owned subsidiary Quick Coach Lines USA Inc. (Quick USA... Charter Coach Lines Ltd.--Acquisition of Control-- Quick Coach Lines Ltd. d/b/a Quick Shuttle Service.... SUMMARY: On November 18, 2013, Royal City Charter Coach Lines Ltd. (Royal, or Applicant) filed an...

QUICK - AN INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENT FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN

Science.gov (United States)

Schlaifer, R. S.

1994-01-01

QUICK provides the computer user with the facilities of a sophisticated desk calculator which can perform scalar, vector and matrix arithmetic, propagate conic orbits, determine planetary and satellite coordinates and perform other related astrodynamic calculations within a Fortran-like environment. QUICK is an interpreter, therefore eliminating the need to use a compiler or a linker to run QUICK code. QUICK capabilities include options for automated printing of results, the ability to submit operating system commands on some systems, and access to a plotting package (MASL)and a text editor without leaving QUICK. Mathematical and programming features of QUICK include the ability to handle arbitrary algebraic expressions, the capability to define user functions in terms of other functions, built-in constants such as pi, direct access to useful COMMON areas, matrix capabilities, extensive use of double precision calculations, and the ability to automatically load user functions from a standard library. The MASL (The Multi-mission Analysis Software Library) plotting package, included in the QUICK package, is a set of FORTRAN 77 compatible subroutines designed to facilitate the plotting of engineering data by allowing programmers to write plotting device independent applications. Its universality lies in the number of plotting devices it puts at the user's disposal. The MASL package of routines has proved very useful and easy to work with, yielding good plots for most new users on the first or second try. The functions provided include routines for creating histograms, "wire mesh" surface plots and contour plots as well as normal graphs with a large variety of axis types. The library has routines for plotting on cartesian, polar, log, mercator, cyclic, calendar, and stereographic axes, and for performing automatic or explicit scaling. The lengths of the axes of a plot are completely under the control of the program using the library. Programs written to use the MASL

Hybrid Multidimensional Relational and Link Analytical Knowledge Discovery for Law Enforcement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joslyn, Cliff A.; Gillen, David S.; Burke, John S.; Critchlow, Terence J.; Damante, Matt; Fernandes, Robert

2008-08-01

The challenges facing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) require not only multi-dimensional, but also multi-scale data analysis. In particular, the ability to seamlessly move from summary information, such as trends, into detailed analysis of individual entities, while critical for law enforcement, typically requires manually transferring information among multiple tools. Such time-consuming and error prone processes significantly hamper the analysts' ability to quickly explore data and identify threats. As part of a DHS Science and Technology effort, we have been developing and deploying for Immigration and Customs Enforcement the CubeLink system integrating information between relational data cubes and link analytical semantic graphs. In this paper we describe CubeLink in terms of the underlying components, their integration, and the formal mapping from multidimensional data analysis into link analysis. In so doing, we provide a formal basis for one particular form of automatic schema-ontology mapping from OLAP data cubes to semantic graphs databases, and point the way towards future ``intelligent'' OLAP data cubes equipped with meta-data about their dimensional typing.

The quick wins paradox.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Buren, Mark E; Safferstone, Todd

2009-01-01

Many leaders taking on new roles try to prove themselves early on by going after quick wins--fresh, visible contributions to the business. But in the pursuit of early results, those leaders often fall into traps that prevent them from benefiting from their achievements. To succeed in their new positions, leaders must realize that the teams they have inherited are also experiencing change. Instead of focusing on an individual accomplishment, leaders need to work with team members on a collective quick win. In a study of more than 5,400 new leaders, the authors found that those who were struggling tended to exhibit five behaviors characteristic of people overly intent on securing a quick win. They focused too much on details, reacted negatively to criticism, intimidated others, jumped to conclusions, and micromanaged their direct reports. Some managed to eke out a win anyway, but the fallout was often toxic. The leaders who were thriving in their new roles, by contrast, shared not only a strong focus on results--necessary for early successes--but also excellent change-management skills. They communicated a clear vision, developed constructive relationships, and built team capabilities. They seemed to realize that the lasting value of their accomplishment would be the way they managed their teams through the transition. Collective quick wins established credibility and prepared them to lead their teams to harder-won victories. The authors provide a diagnostic tool for identifying opportunities for collective quick wins, and they share some advice for organizations: When grooming new leaders, don't just shore up their domain knowledge and technical skills; help them develop the change-management skills they will need as they settle in with their new teams.

Ontobee: A linked ontology data server to support ontology term dereferencing, linkage, query and integration

Science.gov (United States)

Ong, Edison; Xiang, Zuoshuang; Zhao, Bin; Liu, Yue; Lin, Yu; Zheng, Jie; Mungall, Chris; Courtot, Mélanie; Ruttenberg, Alan; He, Yongqun

2017-01-01

Linked Data (LD) aims to achieve interconnected data by representing entities using Unified Resource Identifiers (URIs), and sharing information using Resource Description Frameworks (RDFs) and HTTP. Ontologies, which logically represent entities and relations in specific domains, are the basis of LD. Ontobee (http://www.ontobee.org/) is a linked ontology data server that stores ontology information using RDF triple store technology and supports query, visualization and linkage of ontology terms. Ontobee is also the default linked data server for publishing and browsing biomedical ontologies in the Open Biological Ontology (OBO) Foundry (http://obofoundry.org) library. Ontobee currently hosts more than 180 ontologies (including 131 OBO Foundry Library ontologies) with over four million terms. Ontobee provides a user-friendly web interface for querying and visualizing the details and hierarchy of a specific ontology term. Using the eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) technology, Ontobee is able to dereference a single ontology term URI, and then output RDF/eXtensible Markup Language (XML) for computer processing or display the HTML information on a web browser for human users. Statistics and detailed information are generated and displayed for each ontology listed in Ontobee. In addition, a SPARQL web interface is provided for custom advanced SPARQL queries of one or multiple ontologies. PMID:27733503

Ontobee: A linked ontology data server to support ontology term dereferencing, linkage, query and integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Ong, Edison; Xiang, Zuoshuang; Zhao, Bin; Liu, Yue; Lin, Yu; Zheng, Jie; Mungall, Chris; Courtot, Mélanie; Ruttenberg, Alan; He, Yongqun

2017-01-04

Linked Data (LD) aims to achieve interconnected data by representing entities using Unified Resource Identifiers (URIs), and sharing information using Resource Description Frameworks (RDFs) and HTTP. Ontologies, which logically represent entities and relations in specific domains, are the basis of LD. Ontobee (http://www.ontobee.org/) is a linked ontology data server that stores ontology information using RDF triple store technology and supports query, visualization and linkage of ontology terms. Ontobee is also the default linked data server for publishing and browsing biomedical ontologies in the Open Biological Ontology (OBO) Foundry (http://obofoundry.org) library. Ontobee currently hosts more than 180 ontologies (including 131 OBO Foundry Library ontologies) with over four million terms. Ontobee provides a user-friendly web interface for querying and visualizing the details and hierarchy of a specific ontology term. Using the eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) technology, Ontobee is able to dereference a single ontology term URI, and then output RDF/eXtensible Markup Language (XML) for computer processing or display the HTML information on a web browser for human users. Statistics and detailed information are generated and displayed for each ontology listed in Ontobee. In addition, a SPARQL web interface is provided for custom advanced SPARQL queries of one or multiple ontologies. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Effect of Link Flexibility on tip position of a single link robotic arm

Science.gov (United States)

Madhusudan Raju, E.; Siva Rama Krishna, L.; Mouli, Y. Sharath Chandra; Nageswara Rao, V.

2015-12-01

The flexible robots are widely used in space applications due to their quick response, lower energy consumption, lower overall mass and operation at high speed compared to conventional industrial rigid link robots. These robots are inherently flexible, so that the kinematics of flexible robots can't be solved with rigid body assumptions. The flexibility in links and joints affects end-point positioning accuracy of the robot. It is important to model the link kinematics with precision which in turn simplifies modelling of dynamics of flexible robots. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the effect of link flexibility on a tip position of a single link robotic arm for a given motion. The joint is assumed to be rigid and only link flexibility is considered. The kinematics of flexible link problem is evaluated by Assumed Modes Method (AMM) using MAT LAB Programming. To evaluate the effect of link flexibility (with and without payload) of robotic arm, the normalized tip deviation is found for flexible link with respect to a rigid link. Finally, the limiting inertia for payload mass is found if the allowable tip deviation is 5%.

Towards a numerical run-out model for quick-clay slides

Science.gov (United States)

Issler, Dieter; L'Heureux, Jean-Sébastien; Cepeda, José M.; Luna, Byron Quan; Gebreslassie, Tesfahunegn A.

2015-04-01

Highly sensitive glacio-marine clays occur in many relatively low-lying areas near the coasts of eastern Canada, Scandinavia and northern Russia. If the load exceeds the yield stress of these clays, they quickly liquefy, with a reduction of the yield strength and the viscosity by several orders of magnitude. Leaching, fluvial erosion, earthquakes and man-made overloads, by themselves or combined, are the most frequent triggers of quick-clay slides, which are hard to predict and can attain catastrophic dimensions. The present contribution reports on two preparatory studies that were conducted with a view to creating a run-out model tailored to the characteristics of quick-clay slides. One study analyzed the connections between the morphological and geotechnical properties of more than 30 well-documented Norwegian quick-clay slides and their run-out behavior. The laboratory experiments by Locat and Demers (1988) suggest that the behavior of quick clays can be reasonably described by universal relations involving the liquidity index, plastic index, remolding energy, salinity and sensitivity. However, these tests should be repeated with Norwegian clays and analyzed in terms of a (shear-thinning) Herschel-Bulkley fluid rather than a Bingham fluid because the shear stress appears to grow in a sub-linear fashion with the shear rate. Further study is required to understand the discrepancy between the material parameters obtained in laboratory tests of material from observed slides and in back-calculations of the same slides with the simple model by Edgers & Karlsrud (1982). The second study assessed the capability of existing numerical flow models to capture the most important aspects of quick-clay slides by back-calculating three different, well documented events in Norway: Rissa (1978), Finneidfjord (1996) and Byneset (2012). The numerical codes were (i) BING, a quasi-two-dimensional visco-plastic model, (ii) DAN3D (2009 version), and (iii) MassMov2D. The latter two are

Performance Analysis of Different NeQuick Ionospheric Model Parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WANG Ningbo

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Galileo adopts NeQuick model for single-frequency ionospheric delay corrections. For the standard operation of Galileo, NeQuick model is driven by the effective ionization level parameter Az instead of the solar activity level index, and the three broadcast ionospheric coefficients are determined by a second-polynomial through fitting the Az values estimated from globally distributed Galileo Sensor Stations (GSS. In this study, the processing strategies for the estimation of NeQuick ionospheric coefficients are discussed and the characteristics of the NeQuick coefficients are also analyzed. The accuracy of Global Position System (GPS broadcast Klobuchar, original NeQuick2 and fitted NeQuickC as well as Galileo broadcast NeQuickG models is evaluated over the continental and oceanic regions, respectively, in comparison with the ionospheric total electron content (TEC provided by global ionospheric maps (GIM, GPS test stations and JASON-2 altimeter. The results show that NeQuickG can mitigate ionospheric delay by 54.2%~65.8% on a global scale, and NeQuickC can correct for 71.1%~74.2% of the ionospheric delay. NeQuick2 performs at the same level with NeQuickG, which is a bit better than that of GPS broadcast Klobuchar model.

Android quick APIs reference

CERN Document Server

Cinar, Onur

2015-01-01

The Android Quick APIs Reference is a condensed code and APIs reference for the new Google Android 5.0 SDK. It presents the essential Android APIs in a well-organized format that can be used as a handy reference. You won't find any technical jargon, bloated samples, drawn out history lessons, or witty stories in this book. What you will find is a software development kit and APIs reference that is concise, to the point and highly accessible. The book is packed with useful information and is a must-have for any mobile or Android app developer or programmer. In the Android Quick APIs Refe

FCC riser quick separation system: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi Li

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract The riser reactor is the key unit in the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC process. As the FCC feedstocks become heavier, the product mixture of oil, gas and catalysts must be separated immediately at the outlet of the riser to avoid excessive coking. The quick separation system is the core equipment in the FCC unit. China University of Petroleum (Beijing has developed many kinds of separation system including the fender-stripping cyclone and circulating-stripping cyclone systems, which can increase the separation efficiency and reduce the pressure drop remarkably. For the inner riser system, a vortex quick separation system has been developed. It contains a vortex quick separator and an isolated shell. In order to reduce the separation time, a new type of separator called the short residence time separator system was developed. It can further reduce the separation time to less than 1 s. In this paper, the corresponding design principles, structure and industrial application of these different kinds of separation systems are reviewed. A system that can simultaneously realize quick oil gas separation, quick oil gas extraction and quick pre-stripping of catalysts at the end of the riser is the trend in the future.

Quick Spacecraft Thermal Analysis Tool, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — For spacecraft design and development teams concerned with cost and schedule, the Quick Spacecraft Thermal Analysis Tool (QuickSTAT) is an innovative software suite...

Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms

Science.gov (United States)

... Care Genomic Medicine Working Group New Horizons and Research Patient Management Policy and Ethics Issues Quick Links for Patient Care Education All About the Human Genome Project Fact Sheets Genetic Education Resources for ...

Quick-change filter cartridge

Science.gov (United States)

Rodgers, John C.; McFarland, Andrew R.; Ortiz, Carlos A.

1995-01-01

A quick-change filter cartridge. In sampling systems for measurement of airborne materials, a filter element is introduced into the sampled airstream such that the aerosol constituents are removed and deposited on the filter. Fragile sampling media often require support in order to prevent rupture during sampling, and careful mounting and sealing to prevent misalignment, tearing, or creasing which would allow the sampled air to bypass the filter. Additionally, handling of filter elements may introduce cross-contamination or exposure of operators to toxic materials. Moreover, it is desirable to enable the preloading of filter media into quick-change cartridges in clean laboratory environments, thereby simplifying and expediting the filter-changing process in the field. The quick-change filter cartridge of the present invention permits the application of a variety of filter media in many types of instruments and may also be used in automated systems. The cartridge includes a base through which a vacuum can be applied to draw air through the filter medium which is located on a porous filter support and held there by means of a cap which forms an airtight seal with the base. The base is also adapted for receiving absorbing media so that both particulates and gas-phase samples may be trapped for investigation, the latter downstream of the aerosol filter.

Using Quick Response Codes in the Classroom: Quality Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zurmehly, Joyce; Adams, Kellie

2017-10-01

With smart device technology emerging, educators are challenged with redesigning teaching strategies using technology to allow students to participate dynamically and provide immediate answers. To facilitate integration of technology and to actively engage students, quick response codes were included in a medical surgical lecture. Quick response codes are two-dimensional square patterns that enable the coding or storage of more than 7000 characters that can be accessed via a quick response code scanning application. The aim of this quasi-experimental study was to explore quick response code use in a lecture and measure students' satisfaction (met expectations, increased interest, helped understand, and provided practice and prompt feedback) and engagement (liked most, liked least, wanted changed, and kept involved), assessed using an investigator-developed instrument. Although there was no statistically significant correlation of quick response use to examination scores, satisfaction scores were high, and there was a small yet positive association between how students perceived their learning with quick response codes and overall examination scores. Furthermore, on open-ended survey questions, students responded that they were satisfied with the use of quick response codes, appreciated the immediate feedback, and planned to use them in the clinical setting. Quick response codes offer a way to integrate technology into the classroom to provide students with instant positive feedback.

Quick returns and night work as predictors of sleep quality, fatigue, work-family balance and satisfaction with work hours.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahlgren, Anna; Tucker, Philip; Gustavsson, Petter; Rudman, Ann

2016-01-01

Quick returns (intervals of work. The current study explored quick returns and night work in terms of their impact on sleep, unwinding, recovery, exhaustion, satisfaction with work hours and work-family interference. Data from the 2006 cohort of Swedish nursing students within the national Longitudinal Analysis of Nursing Education (LANE) study were analysed (N = 1459). Respondents completed a questionnaire prior to graduation (response rate 69.2%) and 3 years after graduation (65.9%). The analyses examined associations between frequency of quick returns and night work and measures taken in year three, while adjusting for confounding factors (in year three and prior graduation). Frequency of quick returns was a significant predictor of poor sleep quality, short sleeps, unwinding, exhaustion, satisfaction with work hours and work-to-family interference, with higher frequency predicting more negative outcomes. Quick returns did not predict recovery after rest days. Frequency of night work did not predict any of the outcomes. In conclusion, quick returns were an important determinant of sleep, recovery and wellbeing, whereas night work did not show such an association.

Quick spacecraft charging primer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsen, Brian Arthur

2014-01-01

This is a presentation in PDF format which is a quick spacecraft charging primer, meant to be used for program training. It goes into detail about charging physics, RBSP examples, and how to identify charging.

generalized constitutive model for stabilized quick clay

African Journals Online (AJOL)

QUICK CLAY. PANCRAS MUGISHAGWE BUJULU AND GUSTAV GRIMSTAD. ABSTRACT. An experimentally-based two yield surface constitutive model for cemented quick clay has been ... Clay Model, the Koiter Rule and two Mapping Rules. .... models, where a mobilization formulation is used, this is independent of q.

Java for dummies quick reference

CERN Document Server

Lowe, Doug

2012-01-01

A reference that answers your questions as you move through your coding The demand for Android programming and web apps continues to grow at an unprecedented pace and Java is the preferred language for both. Java For Dummies Quick Reference keeps you moving through your coding while you solve a problem, look up a command or syntax, or search for a programming tip. Whether you're a Java newbie or a seasoned user, this fast reference offers you quick access to solutions without requiring that you wade through pages of tutorial material. Leverages the true reference format that is organized with

Quick clay and landslides of clayey soils

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khaldoun, A.; Moller, P.; Fall, A.; Wegdam, G.; de Leeuw, B.; Méheust, Y.; Fossum, J.O.; Bonn, D.

2009-01-01

We study the rheology of quick clay, an unstable soil responsible for many landslides. We show that above a critical stress the material starts flowing abruptly with a very large viscosity decrease caused by the flow. This leads to avalanche behavior that accounts for the instability of quick clay

New, Novice or Nervous? The "Quick" Guide to the "No-Quick-Fix"

Science.gov (United States)

Teaching History, 2016

2016-01-01

"Teaching History" presents "New, Novice or Nervous (NNN)" for those new to the published writings of history teachers. Each problem newcomers wrestle with is one other teachers have wrestled with too. Quick fixes do not exist. But in others' writing, there is something better: "conversations in which other history…

Electric long-term behaviour of polyethylene insulations for medium-voltage cables cross-linked chemically or by radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scharff, C.; Eberhardt, M.

1989-01-01

The electric long-term behaviour of cross-linked polyethylene (CLPE) was studied at room temperature by measuring the channel operating time under needling and the total charge before channel operation. It is found that the decomposition products formed in CLPE act as tension stabilizers. They have a dominating influence on the electric long-term behaviour

Quick charge battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parise, R.J.

1998-07-01

Electric and hybrid electric vehicles (EVs and HEVs) will become a significant reality in the near future of the automotive industry. Both types of vehicles will need a means to store energy on board. For the present, the method of choice would be lead-acid batteries, with the HEV having auxiliary power supplied by a small internal combustion engine. One of the main drawbacks to lead-acid batteries is internal heat generation as a natural consequence of the charging process as well as resistance losses. This limits the re-charging rate to the battery pack for an EV which has a range of about 80 miles. A quick turnaround on recharge is needed but not yet possible. One of the limiting factors is the heat buildup. For the HEV the auxiliary power unit provides a continuous charge to the battery pack. Therefore heat generation in the lead-acid battery is a constant problem that must be addressed. Presented here is a battery that is capable of quick charging, the Quick Charge Battery with Thermal Management. This is an electrochemical battery, typically a lead-acid battery, without the inherent thermal management problems that have been present in the past. The battery can be used in an all-electric vehicle, a hybrid-electric vehicle or an internal combustion engine vehicle, as well as in other applications that utilize secondary batteries. This is not restricted to only lead-acid batteries. The concept and technology are flexible enough to use in any secondary battery application where thermal management of the battery must be addressed, especially during charging. Any battery with temperature constraints can benefit from this advancement in the state of the art of battery manufacturing. This can also include nickel-cadmium, metal-air, nickel hydroxide, zinc-chloride or any other type of battery whose performance is affected by the temperature control of the interior as well as the exterior of the battery.

Quick assessment of binary distillation efficiency using a heat engine perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blahušiak, M.; Kiss, A.A.; Kersten, S.R.A.; Schuur, B.

2016-01-01

With emphasis on close boiling, (near-)ideal VLE mixtures, this paper links the efficiency of distillation to the binary feed composition and thermal properties of the compounds. The proposed approach, treating the process as a heat engine, allows to directly quantify distillation performance (in terms of energy intensity & efficiency) based on the components boiling points and feed composition. In addition, this approach reviews and formulates simple, approximate and essentially non-iterative calculation procedures to quickly estimate the energy efficiency of distillation. These estimations may be applied to identify opportunities to save significant amounts of energy. The results show that the reboiler duty for low relative volatility is relatively independent of the heat of vaporization and feed composition, while being reciprocally proportional to the Carnot efficiency of the distillation column. The internal efficiency for distillation of mixtures with low relative volatility has a maximum of about 70% for a symmetrical feed (equimolar ratio) and decreases to zero for unsymmetrical feed compositions approaching infinite dilution. With increasing relative volatility, the maximum efficiency is preserved, but the locus shifts towards lower light component fractions. At very high relative volatility, the internal efficiency increases with decreasing concentration of light component, as typical for evaporators. - Highlights: • A heat engine perspective was applied to estimate binary distillation efficiency. • The method was derived from first principles. • Validation on industrial cases showed the strength of the method.

Solenoid hammer valve developed for quick-opening requirements

Science.gov (United States)

Wrench, E. H.

1967-01-01

Quick-opening lightweight solenoid hammer valve requires a low amount of electrical energy to open, and closes by the restoring action of the mechanical springs. This design should be applicable to many quick-opening requirements in fluid systems.

Evaluation of quick tests for phosphorus determination in dairy manures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lugo-Ospina, A.; Dao, Thanh H.; Van Kessel, J.A.; Reeves, J.B.

2005-01-01

Nutrients in animal manure are valuable inputs in agronomic crop production. Rapid and timely information about manure nutrient content are needed to minimize the risks of phosphorus (P) over-application and losses of dissolved P (DP) in runoff from fields treated with manure. We evaluated the suitability of a commercial hand-held reflectometer, a hydrometer, and an electrical conductivity (EC) meter for determining DP and total P (TP) in dairy manures. Bulk samples (n = 107) collected from farms across CT, MD, NY, PA, and VA were highly variable in total solids (TS) concentration, ranging from 11 to 213 g L -1 , in suspensions' pH (6.3-9.2), and EC (6.2-53.3 dS m -1 ). Manure DP concentrations measured using the RQFlex reflectometer (RQFlex-DP s ) were related to molybdate-reactive P (MRP s ) concentrations as follows: RQFlex-DP s = 0.471 x MRP s + 1102 (r 2 = 0.29). Inclusion of pH and squared-pH terms improved the prediction of manure DP from RQFlex results (r 2 = 0.66). Excluding five outlier samples that had pH ≤ 6.9 the coefficient of determination (r 2 ) for the MRP s and RQFlex-DP s relationship was 0.83 for 95% of the samples. Manure TS were related to hydrometer specific gravity readings (r 2 = 0.53) that were in turn related to TP (r 2 = 0.34), but not to either RQFlex-DP or MRP. Relationships between suspensions' EC and DP or TP were non-significant. Therefore, the RQFlex method is the only viable option for on-site quick estimates of DP that can be made more robust when complemented with TS and pH measurements. The DP quick test can provide near real-time information on soluble manure nutrient content across a wide range of handling and storage conditions on dairy farms and quick estimates of potential soluble P losses in runoff following land applications of manure. - The dissolved phosphorous quick test can provide real-time information on soluble manure nutrient control

Status and future plans for open source QuickPIC

Science.gov (United States)

An, Weiming; Decyk, Viktor; Mori, Warren

2017-10-01

QuickPIC is a three dimensional (3D) quasi-static particle-in-cell (PIC) code developed based on the UPIC framework. It can be used for efficiently modeling plasma based accelerator (PBA) problems. With quasi-static approximation, QuickPIC can use different time scales for calculating the beam (or laser) evolution and the plasma response, and a 3D plasma wake field can be simulated using a two-dimensional (2D) PIC code where the time variable is ξ = ct - z and z is the beam propagation direction. QuickPIC can be thousand times faster than the normal PIC code when simulating the PBA. It uses an MPI/OpenMP hybrid parallel algorithm, which can be run on either a laptop or the largest supercomputer. The open source QuickPIC is an object-oriented program with high level classes written in Fortran 2003. It can be found at https://github.com/UCLA-Plasma-Simulation-Group/QuickPIC-OpenSource.git

Development of quick charging system for electric vehicle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anegawa, Takafumi

2010-09-15

Despite low environmental impact and high energy efficiency, electric vehicles (EV) have not been widely accepted. The lack of charging infrastructure is one reason. Since lithium-ion battery has high energy density and low internal resistance that allows quick charging, the convenience of EV may be greatly improved if charging infrastructure is prepared adequately. TEPCO aims for EV spread to reduce CO2 emissions and to increase demand for electric power, and has developed quick charging system for fleet-use EV to improve the convenience of EV. And based on research results, we will propose desirable characteristics of quick charger for public use.

A Linked Model for Simulating Stand Development and Growth Processes of Loblolly Pine

Science.gov (United States)

V. Clark Baldwin; Phillip M. Dougherty; Harold E. Burkhart

1998-01-01

Linking models of different scales (e.g., process, tree-stand-ecosystem) is essential for furthering our understanding of stand, climatic, and edaphic effects on tree growth and forest productivity. Moreover, linking existing models that differ in scale and levels of resolution quickly identifies knowledge gaps in information required to scale from one level to another...

QuickDirect - Payload Control Software Template Package, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — To address the need to quickly, cost-effectively and reliably develop software to control science instruments deployed on spacecraft, QuickFlex proposes to create a...

Linking lab and field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cronje, P.B.

1988-01-01

The multitude of different supplements recommended for animals grazing natural pastures, which testifies to the need for a metabolic basis for supplementary feeding practices. The first approach to this problem was to simulate different feeding conditions in the laboratory, where the metabolic responses of body tissues to changes in the supply of purified nutrients could be studied using radioisotope techniques. The second step was to link these fundamental studies to field conditions. The results of these studies suggest that the efficiency of feed conversion and growth rates of ruminants grazing winter pastures in the highveld region of South Africa could be substantially improved by strategic supplementation with glucose precursors. Acetate clearance rate represents a valuable link in the process of applying information obtained from controlled laboratory experiments to field conditions. As this technique is inexpensive, quick and simple to carry out, it is ideally suited to application under field conditions where the use of isotopes is impractical. By providing a link with field conditions, it greatly extended the scope and practical application of isotope tracer techniques

Quick-Connect, Slow-Disconnect Bolt

Science.gov (United States)

Weddendorf, Bruce

1995-01-01

Proposed bolt functions similarly to device described in article "Quick-Connect, Slow-Disconnect Nut" (MFS-28833). Bolt installed in standard threaded hole simply by pushing it into hole. Once inserted, bolt withdrawn only by turning it in conventional way.

Evaluation of quick tests for phosphorus determination in dairy manures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lugo-Ospina, A. [Animal Manure and By-Products Laboratory, BARC East, Beltsville, MD 20705 (United States); Dao, Thanh H. [Animal Manure and By-Products Laboratory, BARC East, Beltsville, MD 20705 (United States); Van Kessel, J.A. [Animal Waste Pathogens Laboratory, BARC East, Beltsville, MD 20705 (United States); Reeves, J.B. [Animal Manure and By-Products Laboratory, BARC East, Beltsville, MD 20705 (United States)]. E-mail: jreeves@anri.barc.usda.gov

2005-05-01

Nutrients in animal manure are valuable inputs in agronomic crop production. Rapid and timely information about manure nutrient content are needed to minimize the risks of phosphorus (P) over-application and losses of dissolved P (DP) in runoff from fields treated with manure. We evaluated the suitability of a commercial hand-held reflectometer, a hydrometer, and an electrical conductivity (EC) meter for determining DP and total P (TP) in dairy manures. Bulk samples (n = 107) collected from farms across CT, MD, NY, PA, and VA were highly variable in total solids (TS) concentration, ranging from 11 to 213 g L{sup -1}, in suspensions' pH (6.3-9.2), and EC (6.2-53.3 dS m{sup -1}). Manure DP concentrations measured using the RQFlex reflectometer (RQFlex-DP{sub s}) were related to molybdate-reactive P (MRP{sub s}) concentrations as follows: RQFlex-DP{sub s} = 0.471 x MRP{sub s} + 1102 (r{sup 2} = 0.29). Inclusion of pH and squared-pH terms improved the prediction of manure DP from RQFlex results (r{sup 2} = 0.66). Excluding five outlier samples that had pH {<=} 6.9 the coefficient of determination (r{sup 2}) for the MRP{sub s} and RQFlex-DP{sub s} relationship was 0.83 for 95% of the samples. Manure TS were related to hydrometer specific gravity readings (r{sup 2} = 0.53) that were in turn related to TP (r{sup 2} = 0.34), but not to either RQFlex-DP or MRP. Relationships between suspensions' EC and DP or TP were non-significant. Therefore, the RQFlex method is the only viable option for on-site quick estimates of DP that can be made more robust when complemented with TS and pH measurements. The DP quick test can provide near real-time information on soluble manure nutrient content across a wide range of handling and storage conditions on dairy farms and quick estimates of potential soluble P losses in runoff following land applications of manure. - The dissolved phosphorous quick test can provide real-time information on soluble manure nutrient control.

Queue Management Practices of Quick ServiceRestaurants (QSR in Lipa City, Philippines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leoven A. Austria

2015-12-01

Full Text Available –Problems regarding waiting line in quick service restaurants (QSR has been one of the main concerns of industries and scholars nowadays. It is because people today demand not only for qualityfood but also for speed. Quick service restaurant players explore on the approaches to optimize the efficiency of restaurant management. One important area that defines how well and efficient a fast food restaurant delivers its product and services to customers is its waiting line (queue management practices. The study was conducted at Lipa City, involving five popular quick service restaurants named by the researcher as QSR A, B, C, D, and E. It made used of 363customer respondents proportionally obtained from five restaurants.It intended to assess the extent of implementation of the queue management practices of the restaurants and the level of satisfaction of the customers in such practices in terms of customer arrival, waiting line and service facility. The findings revealed the queuing system used and the waiting line structured utilized by the restaurants. The extent of implementation of the queue management practices in the three areas mentioned of the five QSR’s was presented comparatively. Likewise, the level of customer’s satisfaction on the queue management practices was also determined. Significant difference in the extent of implementation and in the level of customer satisfaction were determined if the respondents were grouped according to restaurant’s profile. Recommendations in the improvement of queue were given based on the findings.

Linking Working Memory and Long-Term Memory: A Computational Model of the Learning of New Words

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Gary; Gobet, Fernand; Pine, Julian M.

2007-01-01

The nonword repetition (NWR) test has been shown to be a good predictor of children's vocabulary size. NWR performance has been explained using phonological working memory, which is seen as a critical component in the learning of new words. However, no detailed specification of the link between phonological working memory and long-term memory…

Using nitrate to quantify quick flow in a karst aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Mahler, B.J.; Garner, B.D.

2009-01-01

In karst aquifers, contaminated recharge can degrade spring water quality, but quantifying the rapid recharge (quick flow) component of spring flow is challenging because of its temporal variability. Here, we investigate the use of nitrate in a two-endmember mixing model to quantify quick flow in Barton Springs, Austin, Texas. Historical nitrate data from recharging creeks and Barton Springs were evaluated to determine a representative nitrate concentration for the aquifer water endmember (1.5 mg/L) and the quick flow endmember (0.17 mg/L for nonstormflow conditions and 0.25 mg/L for stormflow conditions). Under nonstormflow conditions for 1990 to 2005, model results indicated that quick flow contributed from 0% to 55% of spring flow. The nitrate-based two-endmember model was applied to the response of Barton Springs to a storm and results compared to those produced using the same model with ??18O and specific conductance (SC) as tracers. Additionally, the mixing model was modified to allow endmember quick flow values to vary over time. Of the three tracers, nitrate appears to be the most advantageous because it is conservative and because the difference between the concentrations in the two endmembers is large relative to their variance. The ??18O- based model was very sensitive to variability within the quick flow endmember, and SC was not conservative over the timescale of the storm response. We conclude that a nitrate-based two-endmember mixing model might provide a useful approach for quantifying the temporally variable quick flow component of spring flow in some karst systems. ?? 2008 National Ground Water Association.

Quick pace of property acquisitions requires two-stage evaluations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollo, R.; Lockwood, S.

1994-01-01

The traditional method of evaluating oil and gas reserves may be too cumbersome for the quick pace of oil and gas property acquisition. An acquisition evaluator must decide quickly if a property meets basic purchase criteria. The current business climate requires a two-stage approach. First, the evaluator makes a quick assessment of the property and submits a bid. If the bid is accepted then the evaluator goes on with a detailed analysis, which represents the second stage. Acquisition of producing properties has become an important activity for many independent oil and gas producers, who must be able to evaluate reserves quickly enough to make effective business decisions yet accurately enough to avoid costly mistakes. Independent thus must be familiar with how transactions usually progress as well as with the basic methods of property evaluation. The paper discusses acquisition activity, the initial offer, the final offer, property evaluation, and fair market value

Quick Prototyping of Educational Software: An Object-Oriented Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Simon C-H

1994-01-01

Introduces and demonstrates a quick-prototyping model for educational software development that can be used by teachers developing their own courseware using an object-oriented programming system. Development of a courseware package called "The Match-Maker" is explained as an example that uses HyperCard for quick prototyping. (Contains…

Final Phase II report : QuickSite(R) investigation, Everest, Kansas.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

LaFreniere, L. M. (Environmental Research)

2003-11-01

this reason, the CCC/USDA is conducting an environmental site investigation to determine the source(s) and extent of the carbon tetrachloride contamination at Everest and to assess whether the contamination requires remedial action. The investigation at Everest is being performed by the Environmental Research Division of Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary research center operated by the University of Chicago for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The CCC/USDA has entered into an interagency agreement with DOE, under which Argonne provides technical assistance to the CCC/USDA with environmental site characterization and remediation at its former grain storage facilities. At these facilities, Argonne is applying its QuickSite{reg_sign} environmental site characterization methodology. This methodology has been applied successfully at a number of former CCC/USDA facilities in Kansas and Nebraska and has been adopted by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM 1998) as standard practice for environmental site characterization. Phase I of the QuickSite{reg_sign} investigation examined the key geologic, hydrogeologic, and hydrogeochemical relationships that define potential contaminant migration pathways at Everest (Argonne 2001). Phase II of the QuickSite{reg_sign} investigation at Everest was undertaken with the primary goal of delineating and improving understanding of the distribution of carbon tetrachloride contamination in groundwater at this site and the potential source area(s) that might have contributed to this contamination. To address this goal, four specific technical objectives were developed to guide the Phase II field studies. Sampling of near-surface soils at the former Everest CCC/USDA facility that was originally planned for Phase I had to be postponed until October 2000 because of access restrictions. Viable vegetation was not available for sampling then. This period is termed the first session of Phase II

The ActionScript 30 Quick Reference Guide

CERN Document Server

Stiller, David; deHaan, Jen; Richardson, Darren

2008-01-01

"No matter what your background, the pages that follow will provide you with some excellent knowledge, insight, and even a little bit of wisdom in the realm of Flash and ActionScript. Happy learning!"-- Branden Hall, from the ForewordWritten by Flash insiders with extensive knowledge of the technology, this guide is designed specifically to help Flash designers and developers make the leap from ActionScript 2.0 to the new object-oriented ActionScript 3.0 quickly and painlessly. Formatted so you can find any topic easily, ActionScript 3.0 Quick Reference Guide explains:Object-oriented programmi

Quick clay and landslides of clayey soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Khaldoun, Asmae; Moller, Peder; Fall, Abdoulaye; Wegdam, Gerard; De Leeuw, Bert; Méheust, Yves; Otto Fossum, Jon; Bonn, Daniel

2009-10-30

We study the rheology of quick clay, an unstable soil responsible for many landslides. We show that above a critical stress the material starts flowing abruptly with a very large viscosity decrease caused by the flow. This leads to avalanche behavior that accounts for the instability of quick clay soils. Reproducing landslides on a small scale in the laboratory shows that an additional factor that determines the violence of the slides is the inhomogeneity of the flow. We propose a simple yield stress model capable of reproducing the laboratory landslide data, allowing us to relate landslides to the measured rheology.

A Quick Guide for Building a Successful Bioinformatics Community

Science.gov (United States)

Budd, Aidan; Corpas, Manuel; Brazas, Michelle D.; Fuller, Jonathan C.; Goecks, Jeremy; Mulder, Nicola J.; Michaut, Magali; Ouellette, B. F. Francis; Pawlik, Aleksandra; Blomberg, Niklas

2015-01-01

“Scientific community” refers to a group of people collaborating together on scientific-research-related activities who also share common goals, interests, and values. Such communities play a key role in many bioinformatics activities. Communities may be linked to a specific location or institute, or involve people working at many different institutions and locations. Education and training is typically an important component of these communities, providing a valuable context in which to develop skills and expertise, while also strengthening links and relationships within the community. Scientific communities facilitate: (i) the exchange and development of ideas and expertise; (ii) career development; (iii) coordinated funding activities; (iv) interactions and engagement with professionals from other fields; and (v) other activities beneficial to individual participants, communities, and the scientific field as a whole. It is thus beneficial at many different levels to understand the general features of successful, high-impact bioinformatics communities; how individual participants can contribute to the success of these communities; and the role of education and training within these communities. We present here a quick guide to building and maintaining a successful, high-impact bioinformatics community, along with an overview of the general benefits of participating in such communities. This article grew out of contributions made by organizers, presenters, panelists, and other participants of the ISMB/ECCB 2013 workshop “The ‘How To Guide’ for Establishing a Successful Bioinformatics Network” at the 21st Annual International Conference on Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (ISMB) and the 12th European Conference on Computational Biology (ECCB). PMID:25654371

QuickASP: PEMBANGKIT KODE PROGRAM ASP UNTUK APLIKASI BASIS DATA BERBASIS WEB

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imam Kuswardayan

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Dalam pembuatan sistem aplikasi basis data berbasis web, perancangan antarmuka pengguna (presentation layer dan lapisan bisnis (bussiness layer merupakan tahap yang dilalui setelah pemahaman terhadap kebutuhan pengguna sistem. Adanya pola atau keteraturan dalam implementasi tahap ini menyebabkan pengembangan sistem akan lebih efisien jika menggunakan suatu aplikasi yang dapat menghasilkan kerangka dasar aplikasi web dengan cepat untuk kedua lapisan tersebut dan bahkan beserta kode programnya. Pada penelitian ini telah diimplementasikan suatu perangkat lunak yang selanjutnya disebut QuickASP. QuickASP membangkitkan kode ASP untuk membangun  homepage otomatis. Untuk membangkitkan kode ASP, QuickASP membutuhkan komponen berupa basis data dan file Cascading Style Sheets (CSS. Proses awal yang dilakukan QuickASP dalam membangkitkan kode program ASP adalah membaca informasi basis data berupa tabel-tabel, nama field dan tipe data. Setelah itu QuickASP akan membangkitkan file-file ASP beserta file-file pendukungnya berdasarkan hasil pengaturan tampilan halaman web yang dilakukan oleh pengguna.Uji coba QuickASP dilakukan pada tiga jenis basis data yaitu Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, dan Oracle. Dari hasil uji coba tersebut, QuickASP terbukti dapat membangkitkan homepage otomatis beserta fungsi–fungsi yang disediakan untuk modifikasi record dan fungsi navigasi.Kata kunci: QuickASP, file cascading style sheets, kode program ASP.

Measurement properties of the QuickDASH (disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand) outcome measure and cross-cultural adaptations of the QuickDASH: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Carol A; Beaton, Dorcas E; Smith, Peter; Van Eerd, Dwayne; Tang, Kenneth; Inrig, Taucha; Hogg-Johnson, Sheilah; Linton, Denise; Couban, Rachel

2013-11-01

To identify and synthesize evidence for the measurement properties of the QuickDASH, a shortened version of the 30-item DASH (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand) instrument. This systematic review used a best evidence synthesis approach to critically appraise the measurement properties [using COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN)] of the QuickDASH and cross-cultural adaptations. A standard search strategy was conducted between 2005 (year of first publication of QuickDASH) and March 2011 in MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL. The search identified 14 studies to include in the best evidence synthesis of the QuickDASH. A further 11 studies were identified on eight cross-cultural adaptation versions. Many measurement properties of the QuickDASH have been evaluated in multiple studies and across most of the measurement properties. The best evidence synthesis of the QuickDASH English version suggests that this tool is performing well with strong positive evidence for reliability and validity (hypothesis testing), and moderate positive evidence for structural validity testing. Strong negative evidence was found for responsiveness due to lower correlations with global estimates of change. Information about the measurement properties of the cross-cultural adaptation versions is still lacking, or the available information is of poor overall methodological quality.

Quick Reference for Financial Reporting

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Alexandra Eustache

Quick Reference – Financial Reporting. 6. Complete FR3 - Payment Receipts, Foreign Exchange and Other Income Forms: a. Enter in Section 3A – Payment Receipt Form all payments received from IDRC. b. Use the Cash Exchange Form if the funds received from IDRC are held in a currency other than the project working ...

The Weak Link HP-41C hand-held calculator program

Science.gov (United States)

Ross A. Phillips; Penn A. Peters; Gary D. Falk

1982-01-01

The Weak Link hand-held calculator program (HP-41C) quickly analyzes a system for logging production and costs. The production equations model conventional chain saw, skidder, loader, and tandemaxle truck operations in eastern mountain areas. Production of each function of the logging system may be determined so that the system may be balanced for minimum cost. The...

Magnetohydrodynamic pressure drop in a quickly changing magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Z.Y.; Chen, J.M.; Qian, J.P.; Jiang, W.H.; Pan, C.J.; Li, W.Z.

1995-01-01

The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pressure drop of 22 Na 78 K flow in a circular duct was measured under a quickly changing magnetic field. The MHD pressure drop reduced with time as the magnetic field strength decreased. However, the dimensionless pressure drop gradient varied with the interaction parameter and had a higher value in the middle of the range of values of the interaction parameter. Therefore, a quickly changing magnetic field is harmful to the structural material in a liquid metal self-cooled blanket of a fusion reactor, since the greater pressure drop gradient may cause a larger stress in the blanket. This is even more harmful if the magnetic field strength decreases very quickly or its distribution in space is greatly non-uniform. (orig.)

Studying quick coupler efficiency in working attachment system of single-bucket power shovel

Science.gov (United States)

Duganova, E. V.; Zagorodniy, N. A.; Solodovnikov, D. N.; Korneyev, A. S.

2018-03-01

A prototype of a quick-disconnect connector (quick coupler) with an unloaded retention mechanism was developed from the analysis of typical quick couplers used as intermediate elements for power shovels of different manufacturers. A method is presented, allowing building a simulation model of the quick coupler prototype as an alternative to physical modeling for further studies.

46 CFR 153.284 - Characteristics of required quick closing valves.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Characteristics of required quick closing valves. 153.284 Section 153.284 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CERTAIN BULK... and Equipment Piping Systems and Cargo Handling Equipment § 153.284 Characteristics of required quick...

Combining Quick-Turnaround and Batch Workloads at Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, Gregory A.

2012-01-01

NAS uses PBS Professional to schedule and manage the workload on Pleiades, an 11,000+ node 1B cluster. At this scale the user experience for quick-turnaround jobs can degrade, which led NAS initially to set up two separate PBS servers, each dedicated to a particular workload. Recently we have employed PBS hooks and scheduler modifications to merge these workloads together under one PBS server, delivering sub-1-minute start times for the quick-turnaround workload, and enabling dynamic management of the resources set aside for that workload.

Quick response codes in Orthodontics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moidin Shakil

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Quick response (QR code codes are two-dimensional barcodes, which encodes for a large amount of information. QR codes in Orthodontics are an innovative approach in which patient details, radiographic interpretation, and treatment plan can be encoded. Implementing QR code in Orthodontics will save time, reduces paperwork, and minimizes manual efforts in storage and retrieval of patient information during subsequent stages of treatment.

A line code with quick-resynchronization capability and low latency for the optical data links of LHC experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, B; He, M; Chen, J; Guo, D; Hou, S; Teng, P-K; Li, X; Liu, C; Xiang, A C; Ye, J; Gong, D; Liu, T; You, Y

2014-01-01

We propose a line code that has fast resynchronization capability and low latency. Both the encoder and decoder have been implemented in FPGAs. The encoder has also been implemented in an ASIC. The latency of the whole optical link (not including the optical fiber) is estimated to be less than 73.9 ns. In the case of radiation-induced link synchronization loss, the decoder can recover the synchronization in 25 ns. The line code will be used in the ATLAS liquid argon calorimeter Phase-I trigger upgrade and can also be potentially used in other LHC experiments

Coordination of short-term and long-term mitigation measures of hydro-meteorological risks: the importance of establishing a link between emergency management and spatial planning

Science.gov (United States)

Prenger-Berninghoff, Kathrin; Cortes, V. Juliette; Aye, Zar Chi; Sprague, Teresa

2013-04-01

The management of natural hazards involves, as generally known, the four stages of the risk management cycle: Prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Accordingly, the mitigation of disasters can be performed in terms of short-term and long-term purposes. Whereas emergency management or civil protection helps to strengthen a community's capacity to be better prepared for natural hazards and to better respond in case a disaster strikes, thus addressing the short-term perspective, spatial planning serves long-term planning goals and can therefore implement long-term prevention measures. A purposefully applied risk mitigation strategy requires coordination of short-term and long-term mitigation measures and thus an effective coordination of emergency management and spatial planning. Several actors are involved in risk management and should consequently be linked throughout the whole risk management cycle. However, these actors, partly because of a historically fragmented administrative system, are hardly connected to each other, with spatial planning only having a negligible role compared to other actors1, a problem to which Young (2002) referred to as the "problem of interplay". In contrast, information transfer and decision-taking happen at the same time and are not coordinated among different actors. This applies to the prevention and preparedness phase as well as to the recovery phase, which basically constitutes the prevention phase for the next disaster2. Since investments in both risk prevention and emergency preparedness and response are considered necessary, a better coordination of the two approaches is required. In this regard, Decision Support Systems (DSS) can be useful in order to provide support in the decision-making aspect of risk management. The research work currently undertaken examines the problem of interplay in the four case study areas of the Marie Curie ITN, CHANGES3. The link between different risk management actors will be explored

Asthma Patients in US Overuse Quick-Relief Inhalers, Underuse Control Medications

Science.gov (United States)

... quick-relief inhalers, underuse control medications Share | Asthma patients in US overuse quick-relief inhalers, underuse control ... and uncontrolled asthma result in poor health outcomes. Patients with well-controlled asthma are at lower risk ...

NeQuick 2 and IRI Plas VTEC predictions for low latitude and South American sector

Science.gov (United States)

Ezquer, R. G.; Scidá, L. A.; Migoya Orué, Y.; Nava, B.; Cabrera, M. A.; Brunini, C.

2018-04-01

Using vertical total electron content (VTEC) measurements obtained from GPS satellite signals the capability of the NeQuick 2 and IRI Plas models to predict VTEC over the low latitude and South American sector is analyzed. In the present work both models were used to calculate VTEC up to the height of GPS satellites. Also, comparisons between the performance of IRI Plas and IRI 2007 have been done. The data correspond to June solstice and September equinox 1999 (high solar activity) and they were obtained at nine stations. The considered latitude range extends from 18.4°N to -64.7°N and the longitude ranges from 281.3°E to 295.9°E in the South American sector. The greatest discrepancies among model predictions and the measured VTEC are obtained at low latitudes stations placed in the equatorial anomaly region. Underestimations as strong as 40 TECU [1 TECU = 1016 m-2] can be observed at BOGT station for September equinox, when NeQuick2 model is used. The obtained results also show that: (a) for June solstice, in general the performance of IRI Plas for low latitude stations is better than that of NeQuick2 and, vice versa, for highest latitudes the performance of NeQuick2 is better than that of IRI Plas. For the stations TUCU and SANT both models have good performance; (b) for September equinox the performances of the models do not follow a clearly defined pattern as in the other season. However, it can be seen that for the region placed between the Northern peak and the valley of the equatorial anomaly, in general, the performance of IRI Plas is better than that of NeQuick2 for hours of maximum ionization. From TUCU to the South, the best TEC predictions are given by NeQuick2. The source of the observed deviations of the models has been explored in terms of CCIR foF2 determination in the available ionosonde stations in the region. Discrepancies can be also related to an unrealistic shape of the vertical electron density profile and or an erroneous prediction of

Quick answers to quantitative problems a pocket primer

CERN Document Server

Page, G William

1991-01-01

No matter the field, professionals need to respond quickly to quantitative problems as they arise and to develop a quick understanding of what the data mean. Whether you are an aide to a city council member trying to decipher the true meaning of a citizen opinion poll, a private consultant to the health department estimating the number of pregnant teenagers in a neighborhood, or the executive director of a small agency striving to present your budget facts precisely and clearly, the techniques presented here are helpful to you and your work.Key Features* Presents relatively simple techniques t

Genes2WordCloud: a quick way to identify biological themes from gene lists and free text.

Science.gov (United States)

Baroukh, Caroline; Jenkins, Sherry L; Dannenfelser, Ruth; Ma'ayan, Avi

2011-10-13

Word-clouds recently emerged on the web as a solution for quickly summarizing text by maximizing the display of most relevant terms about a specific topic in the minimum amount of space. As biologists are faced with the daunting amount of new research data commonly presented in textual formats, word-clouds can be used to summarize and represent biological and/or biomedical content for various applications. Genes2WordCloud is a web application that enables users to quickly identify biological themes from gene lists and research relevant text by constructing and displaying word-clouds. It provides users with several different options and ideas for the sources that can be used to generate a word-cloud. Different options for rendering and coloring the word-clouds give users the flexibility to quickly generate customized word-clouds of their choice. Genes2WordCloud is a word-cloud generator and a word-cloud viewer that is based on WordCram implemented using Java, Processing, AJAX, mySQL, and PHP. Text is fetched from several sources and then processed to extract the most relevant terms with their computed weights based on word frequencies. Genes2WordCloud is freely available for use online; it is open source software and is available for installation on any web-site along with supporting documentation at http://www.maayanlab.net/G2W. Genes2WordCloud provides a useful way to summarize and visualize large amounts of textual biological data or to find biological themes from several different sources. The open source availability of the software enables users to implement customized word-clouds on their own web-sites and desktop applications.

High Pressure Quick Disconnect Particle Impact Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Rosales, Keisa R.; Stoltzfus, Joel M.

2009-01-01

NASA Johnson Space Center White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) performed particle impact testing to determine whether there is a particle impact ignition hazard in the quick disconnects (QDs) in the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) on the International Space Station (ISS). Testing included standard supersonic and subsonic particle impact tests on 15-5 PH stainless steel, as well as tests performed on a QD simulator. This paper summarizes the particle impact tests completed at WSTF. Although there was an ignition in Test Series 4, it was determined the ignition was caused by the presence of a machining imperfection. The sum of all the test results indicates that there is no particle impact ignition hazard in the ISS ECLSS QDs. KEYWORDS: quick disconnect, high pressure, particle impact testing, stainless steel

Clean Air Markets - Quick Facts and Trends

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Quick Facts and Trends module is part of a suite of Clean Air Markets-related tools that are accessible at http://camddataandmaps.epa.gov/gdm/index.cfm. The...

Development and evaluation of porcine cysticercosis QuickELISA in Triturus EIA analyzer.

Science.gov (United States)

Handali, Sukwan; Pattabhi, Sowmya; Lee, Yeuk-Mui; Silva-Ibanez, Maria; Kovalenko, Victor A; Levin, Andrew E; Gonzalez, Armando E; Roberts, Jacquelin M; Garcia, Hector H; Gilman, Robert H; Hancock, Kathy; Tsang, Victor C W

2010-01-01

We evaluated three diagnostic antigens (recombinant GP50, recombinant T24H, and synthetic Ts18var1) for cysticercosis and found that all three performed well in detecting cysticercosis in humans and pigs in several assay formats. These antigens were adapted to a new antibody detection format (QuickELISA). With one single incubation step which involves all reactants except the enzyme substrate, the QuickELISA is particularly suited for automation. We formatted the QuickELISA for the Triturus EIA analyzer for testing large numbers of samples. We found that in QuickELISA formats rGP50 and rT24H have better sensitivity and specificity than sTs18var1 for detecting porcine cysticercosis.

Quick test for infiltration of arable soils

OpenAIRE

Liebl, Boris; Spiegel, Ann-Kathrin

2018-01-01

The quick test makes the consequences of soil compaction on water infiltration and the yield of agricultural crops visible. It promotes an understanding of the effects of soil compaction and the importance of soil-conserving cultivation.

Quick Statistics about Voice, Speech, and Language

Science.gov (United States)

... here Home » Health Info » Statistics and Epidemiology Quick Statistics About Voice, Speech, Language Voice, Speech, Language, and ... no 205. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2015. Hoffman HJ, Li C-M, Losonczy K, ...

Process to Obtain Quick Counts from PREP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martínez–Cruz M.Á.

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Considering the Preliminary Electoral Results Program (PERP as a database of the federal elections for president of the Mexican Republic, a methodology was developed in order to find representative samples of ballot boxes installed in the election’s day (quick count in different hours, due to its characteristics of gathering of information, the PREP in the first hours forms a non-representative sample of data. In a particular way, in the election of July 2, 2006, after 3 hours of opening the PREP, it was observed that the accuracy of the process of the quick counts was better than the one obtained by the IFE. Among other things, this allows to lower the cost, to increase the confidentiality of the ballot boxes used in the sampling and to distinguish in a precise moment the winning candidate long before PREP finishes.

Electron bombardment cross-linking of coating materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mileo, J.-C.

1976-01-01

The use of medium-power electron accelerators to cure paints and varnishes and to make them insoluble is described by making a special analysis of the physico-chemical aspect of the process. The following points in particular are examined: the effect of radiation on matter; general aspects of radiochemical polymerization, and the application of radiation polymerization to varnish drying. A quick review is then made of problems linked to the choice of radiation and to the influence of the oxygen in air. An electron accelerator and a method of calorimetric dosimetery are described [fr

Genes2WordCloud: a quick way to identify biological themes from gene lists and free text

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma'ayan Avi

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Word-clouds recently emerged on the web as a solution for quickly summarizing text by maximizing the display of most relevant terms about a specific topic in the minimum amount of space. As biologists are faced with the daunting amount of new research data commonly presented in textual formats, word-clouds can be used to summarize and represent biological and/or biomedical content for various applications. Results Genes2WordCloud is a web application that enables users to quickly identify biological themes from gene lists and research relevant text by constructing and displaying word-clouds. It provides users with several different options and ideas for the sources that can be used to generate a word-cloud. Different options for rendering and coloring the word-clouds give users the flexibility to quickly generate customized word-clouds of their choice. Methods Genes2WordCloud is a word-cloud generator and a word-cloud viewer that is based on WordCram implemented using Java, Processing, AJAX, mySQL, and PHP. Text is fetched from several sources and then processed to extract the most relevant terms with their computed weights based on word frequencies. Genes2WordCloud is freely available for use online; it is open source software and is available for installation on any web-site along with supporting documentation at http://www.maayanlab.net/G2W. Conclusions Genes2WordCloud provides a useful way to summarize and visualize large amounts of textual biological data or to find biological themes from several different sources. The open source availability of the software enables users to implement customized word-clouds on their own web-sites and desktop applications.

Testing Quick Response (QR) Codes as an Innovation to Improve Feedback Among Geographically-Separated Clerkship Sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder, Matthew J; Nguyen, Dana R; Womack, Jasmyne J; Bunt, Christopher W; Westerfield, Katie L; Bell, Adriane E; Ledford, Christy J W

2018-03-01

Collection of feedback regarding medical student clinical experiences for formative or summative purposes remains a challenge across clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of a quick response (QR) code-linked online feedback form improves the frequency and efficiency of rater feedback. In 2016, we compared paper-based feedback forms, an online feedback form, and a QR code-linked online feedback form at 15 family medicine clerkship sites across the United States. Outcome measures included usability, number of feedback submissions per student, number of unique raters providing feedback, and timeliness of feedback provided to the clerkship director. The feedback method was significantly associated with usability, with QR code scoring the highest, and paper second. Accessing feedback via QR code was associated with the shortest time to prepare feedback. Across four rotations, separate repeated measures analyses of variance showed no effect of feedback system on the number of submissions per student or the number of unique raters. The results of this study demonstrate that preceptors in the family medicine clerkship rate QR code-linked feedback as a high usability platform. Additionally, this platform resulted in faster form completion than paper or online forms. An overarching finding of this study is that feedback forms must be portable and easily accessible. Potential implementation barriers and the social norm for providing feedback in this manner need to be considered.

Disease management strategy for macadamia quick decline

Science.gov (United States)

Trees infected with Macadamia Quick Decline (MQD) exhibit excessive sap bleeding from the trunk, frass from ambrosia beetle feeding, orange fruiting bodies of the fungus Nectria rugulosa and yellowing and browning of the leaves within the tree canopy. MQD threatens commercial and residential product...

Transmission Delay Based Control over Networks with Wireless Links

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2002-01-01

To achieve the mobility of computers during communication, the TCP connections between fixed host and mobile host may often traverse wired and wireless networks, and the recovery of losses due to wireless transmission error is much different from congestion control. The paper analyzes the side effect of RTT estimation while making the TCP source to handle congestion and wireless error losses properly. Then present a strategy using information feedback by the last hop acknowledgement and monitoring the queuing level of the wired bottleneck link by calculating the changes in transmission delay along the path. With the identification of the early stage of congestion, it can respond to wired congestion quickly while keeping wireless link more reliable, and make TCP react to the different packets losses more appropriately.

Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell Desktop Quick Reference

CERN Document Server

Flanagan, David

1999-01-01

Java Foundation Classes in a Nutshell is an indispensable quick reference for Java programmers who are writing applications that use graphics or graphical user interfaces. The author of the bestsellingJava in a Nutshell has written fast-paced introductions to the Java APIs that comprise the Java Foundation Classes (JFC), such as the Swing GUI components and Java 2D, so that you can start using these exciting new technologies right away. This book also includes O'Reilly's classic-style, quick-reference material for all of the classes in the javax.swing and java.awt packages and their numerous

The PROMIS physical function correlates with the QuickDASH in patients with upper extremity illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Overbeek, Celeste L; Nota, Sjoerd P F T; Jayakumar, Prakash; Hageman, Michiel G; Ring, David

2015-01-01

To assess disability more efficiently with less burden on the patient, the National Institutes of Health has developed the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function-an instrument based on item response theory and using computer adaptive testing (CAT). Initially, upper and lower extremity disabilities were not separated and we were curious if the PROMIS Physical Function CAT could measure upper extremity disability and the Quick Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH). We aimed to find correlation between the PROMIS Physical Function and the QuickDASH questionnaires in patients with upper extremity illness. Secondarily, we addressed whether the PROMIS Physical Function and QuickDASH correlate with the PROMIS Depression CAT and PROMIS Pain Interference CAT instruments. Finally, we assessed factors associated with QuickDASH and PROMIS Physical Function in multivariable analysis. A cohort of 93 outpatients with upper extremity illnesses completed the QuickDASH and three PROMIS CAT questionnaires: Physical Function, Pain Interference, and Depression. Pain intensity was measured with an 11-point ordinal measure (0-10 numeric rating scale). Correlation between PROMIS Physical Function and the QuickDASH was assessed. Factors that correlated with the PROMIS Physical Function and QuickDASH were assessed in multivariable regression analysis after initial bivariate analysis. There was a moderate correlation between the PROMIS Physical Function and the QuickDASH questionnaire (r=-0.55, p<0.001). Greater disability as measured with the PROMIS and QuickDASH correlated most strongly with PROMIS Depression (r=-0.35, p<0.001 and r=0.34, p<0.001 respectively) and Pain Interference (r=-0.51, p<0.001 and r=0.74, p<0.001 respectively). The factors accounting for the variability in PROMIS scores are comparable to those for the QuickDASH except that the PROMIS Physical Function is influenced by other pain conditions while the QuickDASH is

Analisis Performansi Agregasi Link dengan Lacp pada SDN menggunakan RYU sebagai Controller

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohmat Tulloh

2018-11-01

Full Text Available — As time goes by, the world of communication has flourished quickly, especially in network. One of the network technologies by now called SDN (Software Defined Network, is a new paradigm in network technology that is able to virtualize network device by taking the function of control plane, that is usually taken by controller, and separate between control plane and data plane into a network device. Besides the coming of that new paradigm, the need of bandwidth consumption on data communication by this time has increased. Link aggregation is a method that combines several physical links into a logical link in the form of multiplying the bandwidth capacity. Link aggregation can be implemented in SDN network, that makes bandwidth consumption in network has good effect on service quality. In this research, the writer will show the comparison analysis between link aggregation and not using link aggregation in SDN network. This comparison analysis is done by analyzing some parameters, like throughput, packetloss, jitter and fault tolerance from the service in network, called video streaming.

Part B Excess Cost Quick Reference Document

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Wayne; Beridon, Virginia; Hamre, Kent; Morse, Amanda

2011-01-01

This Quick Reference Document has been prepared by the Regional Resource Center Program ARRA/Fiscal Priority Team to aid RRCP State Liaisons and other (Technical Assistance) TA providers in understanding the general context of state questions surrounding excess cost. As a "first-stop" for TA providers in investigating excess cost…

Quick Guide to Health Literacy and Older Adults

Science.gov (United States)

... Health Promotion Quick Guide to Health Literacy and Older Adults skip to content ODPHP Health Communication Healthy People ... and Patient e-Health Resources Health Literacy and Older Adults Who is this guide for? Why are health ...

Genipin Cross-Linked Glucose Oxidase and Catalase Multi-enzyme for Gluconic Acid Synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Caixia; Chen, Haibin; Chen, Biqiang; Tan, Tianwei

2017-02-01

In this work, glucose oxidase (GOD) and catalase (CAT) were used simultaneously to produce gluconic acid from glucose. In order to reduce the distance between the two enzymes, and therefore improve efficiency, GOD and CAT were cross-linked together using genipin. Improvements in gluconic acid production were due to quick removal of harmful intermediate hydrogen peroxide by CAT. GOD activity was significantly affected by the proportion of CAT in the system, with GOD activity in the cross-linked multi-enzyme (CLME) being 10 times higher than that in an un-cross-linked GOD/CAT mixture. The glucose conversion rate after 15 h using 15 % glucose was also 10 % higher using the CLME than was measured using a GOD/CAT mixture.

A Natural Language Processing System That Links Medical Terms in Electronic Health Record Notes to Lay Definitions: System Development Using Physician Reviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jinying; Druhl, Emily; Polepalli Ramesh, Balaji; Houston, Thomas K; Brandt, Cynthia A; Zulman, Donna M; Vimalananda, Varsha G; Malkani, Samir; Yu, Hong

2018-01-22

Many health care systems now allow patients to access their electronic health record (EHR) notes online through patient portals. Medical jargon in EHR notes can confuse patients, which may interfere with potential benefits of patient access to EHR notes. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the usability and content quality of NoteAid, a Web-based natural language processing system that links medical terms in EHR notes to lay definitions, that is, definitions easily understood by lay people. NoteAid incorporates two core components: CoDeMed, a lexical resource of lay definitions for medical terms, and MedLink, a computational unit that links medical terms to lay definitions. We developed innovative computational methods, including an adapted distant supervision algorithm to prioritize medical terms important for EHR comprehension to facilitate the effort of building CoDeMed. Ten physician domain experts evaluated the user interface and content quality of NoteAid. The evaluation protocol included a cognitive walkthrough session and a postsession questionnaire. Physician feedback sessions were audio-recorded. We used standard content analysis methods to analyze qualitative data from these sessions. Physician feedback was mixed. Positive feedback on NoteAid included (1) Easy to use, (2) Good visual display, (3) Satisfactory system speed, and (4) Adequate lay definitions. Opportunities for improvement arising from evaluation sessions and feedback included (1) improving the display of definitions for partially matched terms, (2) including more medical terms in CoDeMed, (3) improving the handling of terms whose definitions vary depending on different contexts, and (4) standardizing the scope of definitions for medicines. On the basis of these results, we have improved NoteAid's user interface and a number of definitions, and added 4502 more definitions in CoDeMed. Physician evaluation yielded useful feedback for content validation and refinement of this

Influence of HeartMath quick coherence technique on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... of high psychophysiological coherence, decreased feelings of sadness and increased feelings of peacefulness. Psychophysiological and emotional state findings are discussed in relation to health and sport psychology, theory and practice. Keywords: Biofeedback, physiological coherence, Quick Coherence Technique, ...

A General Method for Targeted Quantitative Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan D Chavez

Full Text Available Chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS provides protein structural information by identifying covalently linked proximal amino acid residues on protein surfaces. The information gained by this technique is complementary to other structural biology methods such as x-ray crystallography, NMR and cryo-electron microscopy[1]. The extension of traditional quantitative proteomics methods with chemical cross-linking can provide information on the structural dynamics of protein structures and protein complexes. The identification and quantitation of cross-linked peptides remains challenging for the general community, requiring specialized expertise ultimately limiting more widespread adoption of the technique. We describe a general method for targeted quantitative mass spectrometric analysis of cross-linked peptide pairs. We report the adaptation of the widely used, open source software package Skyline, for the analysis of quantitative XL-MS data as a means for data analysis and sharing of methods. We demonstrate the utility and robustness of the method with a cross-laboratory study and present data that is supported by and validates previously published data on quantified cross-linked peptide pairs. This advance provides an easy to use resource so that any lab with access to a LC-MS system capable of performing targeted quantitative analysis can quickly and accurately measure dynamic changes in protein structure and protein interactions.

Quick management of accidental tritium exposure cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, V. P.; Badiger, N. M.; Managanvi, S. S.; Bhat, H. R.

2008-01-01

Removal half-life (RHL) of tritium is one of the best means for optimising medical treatment, reduction of committed effective dose (CED) and quick/easy handling of a large group of workers for medical treatment reference. The removal of tritium from the body depends on age, temperature, relative humidity and daily rainfall; so tritium removal rate, its follow-up and proper data analysis and recording are the best techniques for management of accidental acute tritium exposed cases. The decision of referring for medical treatment or medical intervention (MI) would be based on workers' tritium RHL history taken from their bodies at the facilities. The workers with tritium intake up to 1 ALI shall not be considered for medical treatment as it is a derived limit of annual total effective dose. The short-term MI may be considered for tritium intake of 1-10 ALI; however, if the results show intake ≥100 ALI, extended strong medical/therapeutic intervention may be recommended based on the severity of exposure for maximum CED reduction requirements and annual total effective dose limit. The methodology is very useful for pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) which are mainly operated by Canada and India and future fusion reactor technologies. Proper management will optimise the cases for medical treatment and enhance public acceptance of nuclear fission and fusion reactor technologies. (authors)

Quick management of accidental tritium exposure cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Vishwanath P; Badiger, N M; Managanvi, S S; Bhat, H R

2012-07-01

Removal half-life (RHL) of tritium is one of the best means for optimising medical treatment, reduction of committed effective dose (CED) and quick/easy handling of a large group of workers for medical treatment reference. The removal of tritium from the body depends on age, temperature, relative humidity and daily rainfall; so tritium removal rate, its follow-up and proper data analysis and recording are the best techniques for management of accidental acute tritium exposed cases. The decision of referring for medical treatment or medical intervention (MI) would be based on workers' tritium RHL history taken from their bodies at the facilities. The workers with tritium intake up to 1 ALI shall not be considered for medical treatment as it is a derived limit of annual total effective dose. The short-term MI may be considered for tritium intake of 1-10 ALI; however, if the results show intake ≥100 ALI, extended strong medical/therapeutic intervention may be recommended based on the severity of exposure for maximum CED reduction requirements and annual total effective dose limit. The methodology is very useful for pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) which are mainly operated by Canada and India and future fusion reactor technologies. Proper management will optimise the cases for medical treatment and enhance public acceptance of nuclear fission and fusion reactor technologies.

Characterization of Disulfide-Linked Peptides Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Automated Data Analysis Software

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Zhidan; McGuinness, Kenneth N.; Crespo, Alejandro; Zhong, Wendy

2018-05-01

Disulfide bond formation is critical for maintaining structure stability and function of many peptides and proteins. Mass spectrometry has become an important tool for the elucidation of molecular connectivity. However, the interpretation of the tandem mass spectral data of disulfide-linked peptides has been a major challenge due to the lack of appropriate tools. Developing proper data analysis software is essential to quickly characterize disulfide-linked peptides. A thorough and in-depth understanding of how disulfide-linked peptides fragment in mass spectrometer is a key in developing software to interpret the tandem mass spectra of these peptides. Two model peptides with inter- and intra-chain disulfide linkages were used to study fragmentation behavior in both collisional-activated dissociation (CAD) and electron-based dissociation (ExD) experiments. Fragments generated from CAD and ExD can be categorized into three major types, which result from different S-S and C-S bond cleavage patterns. DiSulFinder is a computer algorithm that was newly developed based on the fragmentation observed in these peptides. The software is vendor neutral and capable of quickly and accurately identifying a variety of fragments generated from disulfide-linked peptides. DiSulFinder identifies peptide backbone fragments with S-S and C-S bond cleavages and, more importantly, can also identify fragments with the S-S bond still intact to aid disulfide linkage determination. With the assistance of this software, more comprehensive disulfide connectivity characterization can be achieved. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Characterization of Disulfide-Linked Peptides Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Automated Data Analysis Software.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Zhidan; McGuinness, Kenneth N; Crespo, Alejandro; Zhong, Wendy

2018-01-25

Disulfide bond formation is critical for maintaining structure stability and function of many peptides and proteins. Mass spectrometry has become an important tool for the elucidation of molecular connectivity. However, the interpretation of the tandem mass spectral data of disulfide-linked peptides has been a major challenge due to the lack of appropriate tools. Developing proper data analysis software is essential to quickly characterize disulfide-linked peptides. A thorough and in-depth understanding of how disulfide-linked peptides fragment in mass spectrometer is a key in developing software to interpret the tandem mass spectra of these peptides. Two model peptides with inter- and intra-chain disulfide linkages were used to study fragmentation behavior in both collisional-activated dissociation (CAD) and electron-based dissociation (ExD) experiments. Fragments generated from CAD and ExD can be categorized into three major types, which result from different S-S and C-S bond cleavage patterns. DiSulFinder is a computer algorithm that was newly developed based on the fragmentation observed in these peptides. The software is vendor neutral and capable of quickly and accurately identifying a variety of fragments generated from disulfide-linked peptides. DiSulFinder identifies peptide backbone fragments with S-S and C-S bond cleavages and, more importantly, can also identify fragments with the S-S bond still intact to aid disulfide linkage determination. With the assistance of this software, more comprehensive disulfide connectivity characterization can be achieved. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Narcissism and the Strategic Pursuit of Short-Term Mating : Pervasive Links across 11 World Regions of the International Sexuality Description Project-2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schmitt, David; Vanwesenbeeck, W.M.A.

2017-01-01

Previous studies have documented links between sub-clinical narcissism and the active pursuit of short-term mating strategies (e.g., unrestricted sociosexuality, marital infidelity, mate poaching). Nearly all of these investigations have relied solely on samples from Western cultures. In the current

FINANCIAL WORKBOOK Quick Reference -Budget Preparation 1 ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Alexandra Eustache

FINANCIAL WORKBOOK. Quick Reference -Budget Preparation. 6. Enter detailed budget notes for each line item. Use the “add new row “ button if more rows are needed. (Refer to page 7 on user guider for more information on budget notes). 7. On the “indirect cost” sheet, enter a fixed percentage or amount(s) a. For fixed ...

20 CFR 416.1019 - Quick disability determination process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Quick disability determination process. 416.1019 Section 416.1019 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME... disagreement between the disability examiner and the medical or psychological consultant, the State agency will...

A link of full-scale accelerated pavement testing to long-term pavement performance study in the Western Cape Province of South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Anochie-Boateng, Joseph K

2016-09-01

Full Text Available of Accelerated Pavement Testing in Pavement Sustainability A Link of Full-Scale Accelerated Pavement Testing to Long-Term Pavement Performance Study in the Western Cape Province of South Africa J. K. Anochie-Boateng W. JvdM Steyn C. Fisher L. Truter...

A quick guide to pipeline engineering

CERN Document Server

Alkazraji, D

2008-01-01

Pipeline engineering requires an understanding of a wide range of topics. Operators must take into account numerous pipeline codes and standards, calculation approaches, and reference materials in order to make accurate and informed decisions.A Quick Guide to Pipeline Engineering provides concise, easy-to-use, and accessible information on onshore and offshore pipeline engineering. Topics covered include: design; construction; testing; operation and maintenance; and decommissioning.Basic principles are discussed and clear guidance on regulations is provided, in a way that will

When He Said Linking, He Really Meant Linking

Science.gov (United States)

Chudnov, Daniel

2009-01-01

There are many reasons to improve web links, starting with their design. The author tends to think about "design" on the web in terms of two things: (1) graphic/industrial design; and (2) human usability. A nice, clean URI (uniform resource identifier) that does not change, is readable to humans, is amenable to common web behaviors such as…

20 CFR 404.1619 - Quick disability determination process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Quick disability determination process. 404.1619 Section 404.1619 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND... that is fully favorable to the individual or if there is an unresolved disagreement between the...

Development and quality evaluation of quick cooking dhal-A convenience product.

Science.gov (United States)

Sethi, Shruti; Samuel, D V K; Khan, Islam

2014-03-01

Owing to rapid urbanization and more women joining the workforce, use of ready-to-eat and ready-to-use convenience foods is gaining increasing popularity. Women require dhal that cooks fast and increases in volume when cooked. In an attempt to prepare quick cooking dhal from pigeon pea, variety UPAS 120 was milled, pre-treated with sodium chloride solution (1%), flaked and dried. The quick cooking dhal was packed in three packaging materials, namely, high molecular weight high density polyethylene (HMHDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE) and laminated pouches. The quality evaluation of the prepared flakes with respect to the cooking quality attributes, changes in proximate composition, free fatty acid (FFA) and peroxide value (PV) were carried out during storage at ambient temperature (8-36°C) at regular intervals for a period of 10 months. During storage, quick cooking dhal packed in laminated pouches performed better than samples stored in other pouches with respect to the changes in the overall quality and acceptability of the product.

Linked Ocean Data

Science.gov (United States)

Leadbetter, Adam; Arko, Robert; Chandler, Cynthia; Shepherd, Adam

2014-05-01

"Linked Data" is a term used in Computer Science to encapsulate a methodology for publishing data and metadata in a structured format so that links may be created and exploited between objects. Berners-Lee (2006) outlines the following four design principles of a Linked Data system: Use Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) as names for things. Use HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) URIs so that people can look up those names. When someone looks up a URI, provide useful information, using the standards (Resource Description Framework [RDF] and the RDF query language [SPARQL]). Include links to other URIs so that they can discover more things. In 2010, Berners-Lee revisited his original design plan for Linked Data to encourage data owners along a path to "good Linked Data". This revision involved the creation of a five star rating system for Linked Data outlined below. One star: Available on the web (in any format). Two stars: Available as machine-readable structured data (e.g. An Excel spreadsheet instead of an image scan of a table). Three stars: As two stars plus the use of a non-proprietary format (e.g. Comma Separated Values instead of Excel). Four stars: As three stars plus the use of open standards from the World Wide Web Commission (W3C) (i.e. RDF and SPARQL) to identify things, so that people can point to your data and metadata. Five stars: All the above plus link your data to other people's data to provide context Here we present work building on the SeaDataNet common vocabularies served by the NERC Vocabulary Server, connecting projects such as the Rolling Deck to Repository (R2R) and the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO) and other vocabularies such as the Marine Metadata Interoperability Ontology Register and Repository and the NASA Global Change Master Directory to create a Linked Ocean Data cloud. Publishing the vocabularies and metadata in standard RDF XML and exposing SPARQL endpoints renders them five-star Linked

A Quick-responsive DNA Nanotechnology Device for Bio-molecular Homeostasis Regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Songlin; Wang, Pei; Xiao, Chen; Li, Zheng; Yang, Bing; Fu, Jieyang; Chen, Jing; Wan, Neng; Ma, Cong; Li, Maoteng; Yang, Xiangliang; Zhan, Yi

2016-08-10

Physiological processes such as metabolism, cell apoptosis and immune responses, must be strictly regulated to maintain their homeostasis and achieve their normal physiological functions. The speed with which bio-molecular homeostatic regulation occurs directly determines the ability of an organism to adapt to conditional changes. To produce a quick-responsive regulatory system that can be easily utilized for various types of homeostasis, a device called nano-fingers that facilitates the regulation of physiological processes was constructed using DNA origami nanotechnology. This nano-fingers device functioned in linked open and closed phases using two types of DNA tweezers, which were covalently coupled with aptamers that captured specific molecules when the tweezer arms were sufficiently close. Via this specific interaction mechanism, certain physiological processes could be simultaneously regulated from two directions by capturing one biofactor and releasing the other to enhance the regulatory capacity of the device. To validate the universal application of this device, regulation of the homeostasis of the blood coagulant thrombin was attempted using the nano-fingers device. It was successfully demonstrated that this nano-fingers device achieved coagulation buffering upon the input of fuel DNA. This nano-device could also be utilized to regulate the homeostasis of other types of bio-molecules.

A model for Quick Load Analysis for monopile-type offshore wind turbine substructures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schløer, Signe; Castillo, Laura Garcia; Fejerskov, Morten

2016-01-01

A model for Quick Load Analysis, QuLA, of an offshore wind turbine substructure is presented. The aerodynamic rotor loads and damping are precomputed for a load-based configuration. The dynamic structural response is represented by the first global fore-aft mode only and is computed...... in the frequency domain using the equation of motion. The model is compared against the state of the art aeroelastic code, Flex5, and both life time fatigue and extreme loads are considered in the comparison. In general there is good similarity between the two models. Some derivation for the sectional forces...... are explained in terms of the model simplifications. The difference in the sectional moments are found to be within 14% for the fatigue load case and 10% for the extreme load condition....

Transjugular liver biopsy : the efficacy of quick-core biopsy needle system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Gyoo Sik; Ahn, Byung Kwon; Lee, Sang Ouk; Chang, Hee Kyong; Oh, Kyung Seung; Huh, Jin Do; Joh, Young Duk [Kosin Medical College, Pusan (Korea, Republic of)

1998-02-01

To evaluate the efficacy of the Quick-Core biopsy needle system in performing transjugular liver biopsy. Between December 1995 and June 1997, eight patients underwent transjugular liver biopsy involving use of the Quick-Core biopsy needle system; the conditions involved were coagulopathy (n=4), thrombocytopenia (n=3), and ascites (n=1). Via the right internal jugular vein, the right hepatic vein was selectively catheterized with a 7-F transjugular guiding catheter, and a14-guage stiffening cannula was then inserted through this catheter; to obtain core tissue, a Quick-Core needle was then advanced into the liver parenchyma through the catheter-cannula combination. Eighteen- and 19-guage needles were used in three and five patients, respectively; specimen size, adequacy of the biopsy specimen and histologic diagnosis were determined, and complications were recorded. Biopsy was successful in all patients. The mean length of the specimen was 1.4 cm (1.0 - 1.8 cm), and all were adequate for pathologic examinations ; specific diagnosis was determined in all patients. There were two malignant neoplasms, two cases of veno-occlusive disease, and one case each of cirrhosis, fulminant hepatitis, Banti syndrome and Budd-Chiari syndrome. One patient complained of neck pain after the procedure, but no serious procedural complications were noted. Our preliminary study shows that the Quick-Core biopsy needle system is safe and provides adequate core tissues with high diagnostic yields. (author). 23 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs.

Transjugular liver biopsy : the efficacy of quick-core biopsy needle system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Gyoo Sik; Ahn, Byung Kwon; Lee, Sang Ouk; Chang, Hee Kyong; Oh, Kyung Seung; Huh, Jin Do; Joh, Young Duk

1998-01-01

To evaluate the efficacy of the Quick-Core biopsy needle system in performing transjugular liver biopsy. Between December 1995 and June 1997, eight patients underwent transjugular liver biopsy involving use of the Quick-Core biopsy needle system; the conditions involved were coagulopathy (n=4), thrombocytopenia (n=3), and ascites (n=1). Via the right internal jugular vein, the right hepatic vein was selectively catheterized with a 7-F transjugular guiding catheter, and a14-guage stiffening cannula was then inserted through this catheter; to obtain core tissue, a Quick-Core needle was then advanced into the liver parenchyma through the catheter-cannula combination. Eighteen- and 19-guage needles were used in three and five patients, respectively; specimen size, adequacy of the biopsy specimen and histologic diagnosis were determined, and complications were recorded. Biopsy was successful in all patients. The mean length of the specimen was 1.4 cm (1.0 - 1.8 cm), and all were adequate for pathologic examinations ; specific diagnosis was determined in all patients. There were two malignant neoplasms, two cases of veno-occlusive disease, and one case each of cirrhosis, fulminant hepatitis, Banti syndrome and Budd-Chiari syndrome. One patient complained of neck pain after the procedure, but no serious procedural complications were noted. Our preliminary study shows that the Quick-Core biopsy needle system is safe and provides adequate core tissues with high diagnostic yields. (author). 23 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs

Quick-sealing design for radiological containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rampdla, D.S.; Speer, E.

1991-01-01

This patent describes a quick-sealing assembly and method for forming an adhesive seal on opposite sides of a mechanical seal for a flexible containment bag of the type used for working with radioactively contaminated objects. The assembly includes an elongated mechanical fastener having opposing engaging members affixed at a predetermined distance from each of the elongated edges, with an adhesive layer formed between the mechanical fastener and the elongated edge such that upon engagement of the mechanical fastener and adhesive layers to opposing containment fabric, a neat triple hermetic seal is formed

Quick-sealing design for radiological containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rampolia, D.S.; Speer, E.

1990-01-01

This patent describes a quick-sealing assembly and method for forming an adhesive seal on opposite sides of a mechanical seal for a flexible containment bag of the type used for working with radioactively contaminated objects. The assembly includes an elongated mechanical fastener having opposing engaging members affixed at a predetermined distance from each of the elongated edges, with an adhesive layer formed between the mechanical fastener and the elongated edge such that upon engagement of the mechanical fastener and adhesive layers to opposing containment fabric, a neat triple hermetic seal is formed

Quick-sealing design for radiological containment

Science.gov (United States)

Rampolia, Donald S.; Speer, Elmer

1990-01-01

A quick-sealing assembly and method for forming an adhesive seal on opposite sides of a mechanical seal for a flexible containment bag of the type used for working with radioactively contaminated objects. The assembly includes an elongated mechanical fastener having opposing engaging members affixed at a predetermined distance from each of the elongated edges, with an adhesive layer formed between the mechanical fastener and the elongated edge such that upon engagement of the mechanical fastener and adhesive layers to opposing containment fabric, a neat triple hermetic seal is formed.

Quick and Easy Rate Equations for Multistep Reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Savage, Phillip E.

2008-01-01

Students rarely see closed-form analytical rate equations derived from underlying chemical mechanisms that contain more than a few steps unless restrictive simplifying assumptions (e.g., existence of a rate-determining step) are made. Yet, work published decades ago allows closed-form analytical rate equations to be written quickly and easily for…

A Quick-Test for Biochar Effects on Seed Germination ...

Science.gov (United States)

Biochar is being globally evaluated as a soil amendment to improve soil characteristics (e.g. soil water holding, nutrient exchange, microbiology, pesticides and chemical availability) to increase crop yields. Unfortunately, there are no quick tests to determine what biochar types are most effective at improving soil characteristics amenable for higher crop yields. Seed germination is a critical parameter for plant establishment and may be a quick indicator of biochar quality. We adapted Oregon State University Seed Laboratory procedures to develop a “quick-test” for screening the effects of biochar on seed germination. We used 11.0 cm rectangular x 3.5 cm deep containers fitted with blotter paper. The paper was premoistened with reverse-osmosis water, followed by placement of seeds (25 in a uniform 5 x 5 vacuum-assisted pattern, and biochar mixtures). A Norfolk and Coxville soil series from South Carolina were used. A total of 18 biochars were evaluated that were produced from 6 feedstocks (pine chips, poultry litter, swine solids, switchgrass, and two blends of pine chips and poultry litter); with biochar from each feedstock made by pyrolysis at 350, 500 and 700 ̊ C. Crops were cabbage, cucumber, onion, ryegrass and tomato. Preliminary results from the test indicated differences in seed germination due to soil type and possibly soil x biochar feedstock interactions. Other measurements including shoot dry weight per plate and pH of the soil+ biochar mixtur

Emergency medicine task shifting: Quick dash outcome scores of upper extremity injury management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.S. Frank*

2013-12-01

Results and conclusions: There were a total of 25 initial candidates, of which only 17 were able to complete the survey. Using the Quick DASH Outcome Measure, our 17 patients had a mean score of 29.5 (range 5.0– 56.8. When compared to the standardized Quick DASH outcomes (no work limitation at 27.5 vs. work limited by injury at 52.6 the non-physician clinicians appear to be performing upper extremity repairs with good outcomes. The key variable to successful repair was the initial injury type. Although accommodations needed to be made to the standard Quick DASH protocol, the tool appears to be usable in non-traditional settings.

Systematic review of the relationship between quick returns in rotating shift work and health-related outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Vedaa, Øystein; Harris, Anette; Bjorvatn, Bjørn; Waage, Siri; Sivertsen, Børge; Tucker, Philip; Pallesen, Ståle

2016-01-01

A systematic literature search was carried out to investigate the relationship between quick returns (i.e., 11.0 hours or less between two consecutive shifts) and outcome measures of health, sleep, functional ability and work-life balance. A total of 22 studies published in 21 articles were included. Three types of quick returns were differentiated (from evening to morning/day, night to evening, morning/day to night shifts) where sleep duration and sleepiness appeared to be differently affected depending on which shifts the quick returns occurred between. There were some indications of detrimental effects of quick returns on proximate problems (e.g., sleep, sleepiness and fatigue), although the evidence of associations with more chronic outcome measures (physical and mental health and work-life balance) was inconclusive. Modern societies are dependent on people working shifts. This study systematically reviews literature on the consequences of quick returns (11.0 hours or less between two shifts). Quick returns have detrimental effects on acute health problems. However, the evidence regarding effects on chronic health is inconclusive.

Next-generation vision testing: the quick CSF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorr Michael

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The Contrast Sensitivity Function relates the spatial frequency and contrast of a spatial pattern to its visibility and thus provides a fundamental description of visual function. However, the current clinical standard of care typically restricts assessment to visual acuity, i.e. the smallest stimulus size that can be resolved at full contrast; alternatively, tests of contrast sensitivity are typically restricted to assessment of the lowest visible contrast for a fixed letter size. This restriction to one-dimensional subspaces of a two-dimensional space was necessary when stimuli were printed on paper charts and simple scoring rules were applied manually. More recently, however, computerized testing and electronic screens have enabled more flexible stimulus displays and more complex test algorithms. For example, the quick CSF method uses a Bayesian adaptive procedure and an information maximization criterion to select only informative stimuli; testing times to precisely estimate the whole contrast sensitivity function are reduced to 2-5 minutes. Here, we describe the implementation of the quick CSF method in a medical device. We make several usability enhancements to make it suitable for use in clinical settings. A first usability study shows excellent results, with a mean System Usability Scale score of 86.5.

Reliable and Persistent Identification of Linked Data Elements

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, David

Linked Data techniques rely upon common terminology in a manner similar to a relational database'vs reliance on a schema. Linked Data terminology anchors metadata descriptions and facilitates navigation of information. Common vocabularies ease the human, social tasks of understanding datasets sufficiently to construct queries and help to relate otherwise disparate datasets. Vocabulary terms must, when using the Resource Description Framework, be grounded in URIs. A current bestpractice on the World Wide Web is to serve vocabulary terms as Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) and present both human-readable and machine-readable representations to the public. Linked Data terminology published to theWorldWideWeb may be used by others without reference or notification to the publishing party. That presents a problem: Vocabulary publishers take on an implicit responsibility to maintain and publish their terms via the URLs originally assigned, regardless of the inconvenience such a responsibility may cause. Over the course of years, people change jobs, publishing organizations change Internet domain names, computers change IP addresses,systems administrators publish old material in new ways. Clearly, a mechanism is required to manageWeb-based vocabularies over a long term. This chapter places Linked Data vocabularies in context with the wider concepts of metadata in general and specifically metadata on the Web. Persistent identifier mechanisms are reviewed, with a particular emphasis on Persistent URLs, or PURLs. PURLs and PURL services are discussed in the context of Linked Data. Finally, historic weaknesses of PURLs are resolved by the introduction of a federation of PURL services to address needs specific to Linked Data.

A Quick-Test for Biochar Effects on Seed Germination

Science.gov (United States)

Biochar is being globally evaluated as a soil amendment to improve soil characteristics (e.g. soil water holding, nutrient exchange, microbiology, pesticides and chemical availability) to increase crop yields. Unfortunately, there are no quick tests to determine what biochar type...

An Accurate Link Correlation Estimator for Improving Wireless Protocol Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhiwei; Xu, Xianghua; Dong, Wei; Bu, Jiajun

2015-01-01

Wireless link correlation has shown significant impact on the performance of various sensor network protocols. Many works have been devoted to exploiting link correlation for protocol improvements. However, the effectiveness of these designs heavily relies on the accuracy of link correlation measurement. In this paper, we investigate state-of-the-art link correlation measurement and analyze the limitations of existing works. We then propose a novel lightweight and accurate link correlation estimation (LACE) approach based on the reasoning of link correlation formation. LACE combines both long-term and short-term link behaviors for link correlation estimation. We implement LACE as a stand-alone interface in TinyOS and incorporate it into both routing and flooding protocols. Simulation and testbed results show that LACE: (1) achieves more accurate and lightweight link correlation measurements than the state-of-the-art work; and (2) greatly improves the performance of protocols exploiting link correlation. PMID:25686314

The force recovery following repeated quick releases applied to pig urinary bladder smooth muscle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. van Mastrigt (Ron)

1991-01-01

textabstractA method for measuring several quick-releases during one contraction of a pig urinary bladder smooth muscle preparation was developed. The force recovery following quick release in this muscle type was studied by fitting a multiexponential model to 926 responses measured during the first

Delineation of a quick clay zone at Smørgrav, Norway, with electromagnetic methods under geotechnical constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Kalscheuer, Thomas; Bastani, Mehrdad; Donohue, Shane; Persson, Lena; Aspmo Pfaffhuber, Andreas; Reiser, Fabienne; Ren, Zhengyong

2013-05-01

In many coastal areas of North America and Scandinavia, post-glacial clay sediments have emerged above sea level due to iso-static uplift. These clays are often destabilised by fresh water leaching and transformed to so-called quick clays as at the investigated area at Smørgrav, Norway. Slight mechanical disturbances of these materials may trigger landslides. Since the leaching increases the electrical resistivity of quick clay as compared to normal marine clay, the application of electromagnetic (EM) methods is of particular interest in the study of quick clay structures. For the first time, single and joint inversions of direct-current resistivity (DCR), radiomagnetotelluric (RMT) and controlled-source audiomagnetotelluric (CSAMT) data were applied to delineate a zone of quick clay. The resulting 2-D models of electrical resistivity correlate excellently with previously published data from a ground conductivity metre and resistivity logs from two resistivity cone penetration tests (RCPT) into marine clay and quick clay. The RCPT log into the central part of the quick clay identifies the electrical resistivity of the quick clay structure to lie between 10 and 80 Ω m. In combination with the 2-D inversion models, it becomes possible to delineate the vertical and horizontal extent of the quick clay zone. As compared to the inversions of single data sets, the joint inversion model exhibits sharper resistivity contrasts and its resistivity values are more characteristic of the expected geology. In our preferred joint inversion model, there is a clear demarcation between dry soil, marine clay, quick clay and bedrock, which consists of alum shale and limestone.

Post-marketing surveillance of OraQuick whole blood and oral fluid rapid HIV testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wesolowski, Laura G; MacKellar, Duncan A; Facente, Shelley N; Dowling, Teri; Ethridge, Steven F; Zhu, Julia H; Sullivan, Patrick S

2006-08-01

Post-marketing surveillance was conducted to monitor the performance of the OraQuick Advance rapid HIV-1/2 antibody test (OraQuick) on whole blood and oral fluid. Surveillance of routinely collected data on clients tested with OraQuick in 368 testing sites affiliated with 17 state and city health departments between 11 August 2004 and 30 June 2005. For whole blood and oral fluid, we report the median (range) health department OraQuick specificity and positive predictive value (PPV), and the number of clients with discordant results (e.g. who had a reactive rapid test not confirmed positive by Western blot or indirect immunofluorescence). At one site with lower than expected oral-fluid specificity, we evaluated whether device expiration, manufacturing lot, operator practices, or device-storage or testing-area temperatures were associated with false-positive tests. During the surveillance period, 135 724 whole blood and 26 066 oral fluid rapid tests were conducted. The median health department whole blood OraQuick specificity was 99.98% (range: 99.73-100%) and PPV was 99.24% (range: 66.67-100%); the median oral fluid specificity was 99.89% (range: 99.44-100%) and PPV was 90.00% (range: 50.00-100%). A total of 124 discordant results were reported from 68 (0.05%) whole blood and 56 (0.22%) oral fluid rapid tests. The oral fluid specificity at the site with excess oral fluid false-positive tests was 98.7% (95% confidence interval: 98.18-99.11%). The increase in false-positive tests at that site was not associated with any specific device characteristic, operator procedure or temperature condition. The specificity of OraQuick performed on whole blood and oral fluid during post-marketing surveillance was compatible with the manufacturer's claim within the package insert. However, one site experienced lower than expected oral fluid specificity. Sites that observe that the specificity of OraQuick is lower than the range indicated in the package insert should notify the

Real time source term and dose assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breznik, B.; Kovac, A.; Mlakar, P.

2001-01-01

The Dose Projection Programme is a tool for decision making in case of nuclear emergency. The essential input data for quick emergency evaluation in the case of hypothetical pressurised water reactor accident are following: source term, core damage assessment, fission product radioactivity, release source term and critical exposure pathways for an early phase of the release. A reduced number of radio-nuclides and simplified calculations can be used in dose calculation algorithm. Simple expert system personal computer programme has been developed for the Krsko Nuclear Power Plant for dose projection within the radius of few kilometers from the pressurised water reactor in early phase of an accident. The input data are instantaneous data of core activity, core damage indicators, release fractions, reduction factor of the release pathways, spray operation, release timing, and dispersion coefficient. Main dose projection steps are: accurate in-core radioactivity determination using reactor power input; core damage and in-containment source term assessment based on quick indications of instrumentation or on activity analysis data; user defines release pathway for typical PWR accident scenarius; dose calculation is performed only for exposure pathway critical for decision about evacuation or sheltering in early phase of an accident.(author)

Health Implications of Adults' Eating at and Living near Fast Food or Quick Service Restaurants.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, J; Moudon, A V; Kim, S Y; Hurvitz, P M; Drewnowski, A

2015-07-20

This paper examined whether the reported health impacts of frequent eating at a fast food or quick service restaurant on health were related to having such a restaurant near home. Logistic regressions estimated associations between frequent fast food or quick service restaurant use and health status, being overweight or obese, having a cardiovascular disease or diabetes, as binary health outcomes. In all, 2001 participants in the 2008-2009 Seattle Obesity Study survey were included in the analyses. Results showed eating ⩾2 times a week at a fast food or quick service restaurant was associated with perceived poor health status, overweight and obese. However, living close to such restaurants was not related to negative health outcomes. Frequent eating at a fast food or quick service restaurant was associated with perceived poor health status and higher body mass index, but living close to such facilities was not.

QuickRNASeq: Guide for Pipeline Implementation and for Interactive Results Visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Wen; Zhao, Shanrong; Zhang, Chi; Vincent, Michael S; Zhang, Baohong

2018-01-01

Sequencing of transcribed RNA molecules (RNA-Seq) has been used wildly for studying cell transcriptomes in bulk or at the single-cell level (Wang et al., Nat Rev Genet, 10:57-63, 2009; Ozsolak and Milos, Nat Rev Genet, 12:87-98, 2011; Sandberg, Nat Methods, 11:22-24, 2014) and is becoming the de facto technology for investigating gene expression level changes in various biological conditions, on the time course, and under drug treatments. Furthermore, RNA-Seq data helped identify fusion genes that are related to certain cancers (Maher et al., Nature, 458:97-101, 2009). Differential gene expression before and after drug treatments provides insights to mechanism of action, pharmacodynamics of the drugs, and safety concerns (Dixit et al., Genomics, 107:178-188, 2016). Because each RNA-Seq run generates tens to hundreds of millions of short reads with size ranging from 50 to 200 bp, a tool that deciphers these short reads to an integrated and digestible analysis report is in high demand. QuickRNASeq (Zhao et al., BMC Genomics, 17:39-53, 2016) is an application for large-scale RNA-Seq data analysis and real-time interactive visualization of complex data sets. This application automates the use of several of the best open-source tools to efficiently generate user friendly, easy to share, and ready to publish report. Figures in this protocol illustrate some of the interactive plots produced by QuickRNASeq. The visualization features of the application have been further improved since its first publication in early 2016. The original QuickRNASeq publication (Zhao et al., BMC Genomics, 17:39-53, 2016) provided details of background, software selection, and implementation. Here, we outline the steps required to implement QuickRNASeq in user's own environment, as well as demonstrate some basic yet powerful utilities of the advanced interactive visualization modules in the report.

Technical Support Document: 50% Energy Savings for Quick-Service Restaurants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Jian; Schrock, D. W.; Fisher, D. R.; Livchak, A.; Zabrowski, D. A.; Athalye, Rahul A.; Liu, Bing

2010-09-30

Document describing PNNL's project to develop a package of energy efficiency measures that demonstrate the feasibility of achieving a 50% energy savings for quick-service restaurants with a simple payback of 5 years or less.

Non-response Assessment of a Web-based Navy Quick Poll

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Uriell, Zannette A; Whittam, Kimberly P; Newell, Carol E; Hargrove, Matthew J

2007-01-01

Quick Polls were developed to obtain attitudes and opinions of U.S. Navy personnel in a shorter time period than traditional mailed surveys using a new contact method and a web-based survey available for only a...

Robust Short-Term Memory without Synaptic Learning

OpenAIRE

Johnson, Samuel; Marro, J.; Torres, Joaquin J.

2013-01-01

Short-term memory in the brain cannot in general be explained the way long-term memory can ??? as a gradual modification of synaptic weights ??? since it takes place too quickly. Theories based on some form of cellular bistability, however, do not seem able to account for the fact that noisy neurons can collectively store information in a robust manner. We show how a sufficiently clustered network of simple model neurons can be instantly induced into metastable states capable of retaining inf...

Long-term exposure to mobile communication radiation: An analysis of time-variability of electric field level in GSM900 down-link channels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miclaus, S.; Bechet, P.; Gheorghevici, M.

2013-01-01

Interest for knowing long-term human exposure levels due to mobile communications has increased in the last years. It has been shown that short-term exposure assessment made under standard procedural restrictions is not reliable when it comes to conclusions on long-term exposure levels. The present work is the result of a several week analysis of time variability of electric field level inside traffic and control channels of the GSM900 mobile communication down-link band and it indicates that a temporal model to allow future predictions of exposure on the long run is obtainable. Collecting, processing and statistically analysing the data provide expression of the maximum and weighted field strengths and their evolution in time. Specific electromagnetic footprints of the channels have been extracted, differentiations between their characteristics have been emphasised and practical advice is provided, with the scope of contributing to the development of reliable procedures for long-term exposure assessment. (authors)

[Comparison of the quick Gram stain method to the B&M modified and favor methods].

Science.gov (United States)

Osawa, Kayo; Kataoka, Nobumasa; Maruo, Toshio

2011-01-01

The Gram stain is an established method for bacterial identification, but the time needed to carry out this stain is 2-3 min. We attempted to shorten this time and stained a total of 70 clinical specimens isolated from using the Bartholomew & Mittwer (B&M) modified or Favor methods with a 3 s duration for washing and staining steps. Results were plotted and analyzed using a Hue Saturation Intensity (HSI) model. The range based on a plot of the two methods with the HSI model was presented as a reference interval. Our results indicated that 100% (35/35) of strains were Gram positive and 97.1% (34/35) were Gram negative for the quick B&M modified method. In the quick Favor method, 80.0% (28/35) were Gram positive and 68.6% (24/35) of strains were Gram negative. We propose that the quick B&M modified method is equivalent to the standard Gram staining method and is superior to the quick Favor method.

Porting Initiation and Failure into Linked CHEETAH

Science.gov (United States)

Souers, Clark; Vitello, Peter

2007-06-01

Linked CHEETAH is a thermo-chemical code coupled to a 2-D hydrocode. Initially, a quadratic-pressure dependent kinetic rate was used, which worked well in modeling prompt detonation of explosives of large size, but does not work on other aspects of explosive behavior. The variable-pressure Tarantula reactive flow rate model was developed with JWL++ in order to also describe failure and initiation, and we have moved this model into Linked CHEETAH. The model works by turning on only above a pressure threshold, where a slow turn-on creates initiation. At a higher pressure, the rate suddenly leaps to a large value over a small pressure range. A slowly failing cylinder will see a rapidly declining rate, which pushes it quickly into failure. At a high pressure, the detonation rate is constant. A sequential validation procedure is used, which includes metal-confined cylinders, rate-sticks, corner-turning, initiation and threshold, gap tests and air gaps. The size (diameter) effect is central to the calibration. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48.

Oil-in-Ice Demonstration 4: Quick Look Report

Science.gov (United States)

2016-11-01

A-3  Figure A-4. Temporary storage tank setup on the deck of USCGC Elm , December 2014 (ELASTEC American Marine 2014...an oil surrogate.  Boot covers work well for slippery surfaces, better than rubber boots. Oil-in-Ice IV Demonstration Quick Look Report 24...RDC | A. Balsley, et al. Public | November 2016 Figure A-4. Temporary storage tank setup on the deck of USCGC Elm , December 2014 (ELASTEC

Quick Estimation Model for the Concentration of Indoor Airborne Culturable Bacteria: An Application of Machine Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhijian Liu

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Indoor airborne culturable bacteria are sometimes harmful to human health. Therefore, a quick estimation of their concentration is particularly necessary. However, measuring the indoor microorganism concentration (e.g., bacteria usually requires a large amount of time, economic cost, and manpower. In this paper, we aim to provide a quick solution: using knowledge-based machine learning to provide quick estimation of the concentration of indoor airborne culturable bacteria only with the inputs of several measurable indoor environmental indicators, including: indoor particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10, temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentration. Our results show that a general regression neural network (GRNN model can sufficiently provide a quick and decent estimation based on the model training and testing using an experimental database with 249 data groups.

A Measure of Cultural Competence as an Ethical Responsibility: Quick-Racial and Ethical Sensitivity Test

Science.gov (United States)

Sirin, Selcuk R.; Rogers-Sirin, Lauren; Collins, Brian A.

2010-01-01

This article presents the psychometric qualifications of a new video-based measure of school professionals' ethical sensitivity toward issues of racial intolerance in schools. The new scale, titled the Quick-Racial and Ethical Sensitivity Test (Quick-REST) is based on the ethical principles commonly shared by school-based professional…

Quick-Connect/Disconnect Joint For Truss Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Sprague, Benny B.

1991-01-01

Simple connector used for temporary structures and pipes. Truss connector joins and aligns structural members. Consists of two sections, one flanged and other with mating internal groove. When flanged half inserted in groove, moves lever of trigger mechanism upward. Cone then shoots into grooved half. Attached without tools in less than 2 seconds and taken apart just as quickly and easily. Developed for assembling structures in outer space, also useful for temporary terrestrial structures like scaffolds and portable bleachers. With modifications, used to join sections of pipelines carrying liquids or gases.

HBsAg RIA QUICK and Anti-HBs RIA QUICK. Information of a new technique of radioimmunoassay of hepatitis B virus surface antigen and the corresponding antibody using kits by IMMUNO Vienna

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kselikova, M; Urbankova, J

1985-11-01

With regard to the high sensitivity of HBsAg and anti-HBs detection using kits HBsAg RIA QUICK and Anti-HBs RIA QUICK, and with regard to the excellent technical set-up which substantially reduces demands on manual work and eliminates the need to equip the department with a rinser, and also with regard to the lower price as compared with similar kits by Abbott Co., the above mentioned two kits will be imported to Czechoslovakia.

Development and evaluation of the quick anaero-system-a new disposable anaerobic culture system.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Nam Woong; Kim, Jin Man; Choi, Gwang Ju; Jang, Sook Jin

2010-04-01

We developed a new disposable anaerobic culture system, namely, the Quick anaero-system, for easy culturing of obligate anaerobes. Our system consists of 3 components: 1) new disposable anaerobic gas pack, 2) disposable culture-envelope and sealer, and 3) reusable stainless plate rack with mesh containing 10 g of palladium catalyst pellets. To evaluate the efficiency of our system, we used 12 anaerobic bacteria. We prepared 2 sets of ten-fold serial dilutions of the 12 anaerobes, and inoculated these samples on Luria-Bertani (LB) broth and LB blood agar plate (LB-BAP) (BD Diagnostic Systems, USA). Each set was incubated in the Quick anaero-system (DAS Tech, Korea) and BBL GasPak jar with BD GasPak EZ Anaerobe Container System (BD Diagnostic Systems) at 35-37 degrees C for 48 hr. The minimal inoculum size showing visible growth of 12 anaerobes when incubated in both the systems was compared. The minimal inoculum size showing visible growth for 2 out of the 12 anaerobes in the LB broth and 9 out of the 12 anaerobes on LB-BAP was lower for the Quick anaero-system than in the BD GasPak EZ Anaerobe Container System. The mean time (+/-SD) required to achieve absolute anaerobic conditions of the Quick anaero-system was 17 min and 56 sec (+/-3 min and 25 sec). The Quick anaero-system is a simple and effective method of culturing obligate anaerobes, and its performance is superior to that of the BD GasPak EZ Anaerobe Container System.

Study of a New Quick-Charging Strategy for Electric Vehicles in Highway Charging Stations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lixing Chen

2016-09-01

Full Text Available To solve the problem, because of which conventional quick-charging strategies (CQCS cannot meet the requirements of quick-charging for multiple types of electric vehicles (EV on highways where vehicle inflow is excessive, this paper proposed a new quick-charging strategy (NQCS for EVs: on the premise of not affecting those EVs being charged, the remaining power of the quick-charging pile with multiple power output interfaces is used to provide a synchronous charging service for EVs waiting in the queue. To verify the effectiveness of this strategy, a power distribution model of charging pile and a queuing model of charging station (CS were constructed. In addition, based on an actual highway service area where vehicle inflow is excessive during the simulation period (0:00–24:00, charging situations of CQCS and NQCS were respectively simulated in a charging station (CS, with different number of chargers, by basic queuing algorithm and an improved queuing algorithm. The simulation results showed that when the relative EV inflow is excessive, compared to CQCS, NQCS not only can reduce user waiting time, charging time, and stay time, but also can improve the utilisation rate of charging infrastructure and service capacity of CS and reduce the queue length of CS. At the same time, NQCS can reduce the impact on the power grid. In addition, in NQCS, the on-demand power distribution method is more efficient than the average power distribution method. Therefore, NQCS is more suitable for quick-charging for multiple types of EVs on highways where vehicle inflow is excessive.

[Better performance of Western blotting: quick vs slow protein transfer, blotting membranes and the visualization methods].

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Ling-Quan; Pu, Ying-Hui; Ma, Shi-Kun

2008-01-01

To study how the choices of the quick vs slow protein transfer, the blotting membranes and the visualization methods influence the performance of Western blotting. The cellular proteins were abstracted from human breast cell line MDA-MB-231 for analysis with Western blotting using quick (2 h) and slow (overnight) protein transfer, different blotting membranes (nitrocellulose, PVDF and nylon membranes) and different visualization methods (ECL and DAB). In Western blotting with slow and quick protein transfer, the prestained marker presented more distinct bands on nitrocellulose membrane than on the nylon and PVDF membranes, and the latter also showed clear bands on the back of the membrane to very likely cause confusion, which did not occur with nitrocellulose membrane. PVDF membrane allowed slightly clearer visualization of the proteins with DAB method as compared with nitrocellulose and nylon membranes, and on the latter two membranes, quick protein transfer was likely to result in somehow irregular bands in comparison with slow protein transfer. With slow protein transfer and chemiluminescence for visualization, all the 3 membranes showed clear background, while with quick protein transfer, nylon membrane gave rise to obvious background noise but the other two membranes did not. Different membranes should be selected for immunoblotting according to the actual needs of the experiment. Slow transfer of the proteins onto the membranes often has better effect than quick transfer, and enhanced chemiluminescence is superior to DAB for protein visualization and allows highly specific and sensitive analysis of the protein expressions.

PROSPECTS OF APPLICATION OF THE CONCEPTOF QUICK RESPONSE MANUFACTURING AT THE RUSSIAN INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ch. V. Shipilova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article is devoted to research of such concept of the organization of production, as Quick Response Manufacturing or Quick-response production, at the center which, time of implementation of the order is put. Today domestic producers are compelled to function in new conditions, competing with a great number of players of the global market, as a result the emphasis on timely implementation of orders and a tendency of reduction of time of production will allow to reach competitive advantages. Fundamental aspects of Quick Response Manufacturing within functioning of the enterprise of branch are considered, and also the essential lack of this concept is revealed.The purpose / objectives. The purpose of article is research of the economic contents of the concept of the organization of production Quick Response Manufacturing and area of its use at the modern industrial enterprises. Article tasks: to investigate economic contents of the concept of Quick Response Manufacturing, to reveal its features and scopes in the modern industry.Methods. A methodical basis of this article are comparative methods of the analysis.Results. The economic contents of the concept of Quick Response Manufacturing are investigated. Four main key aspects which are the cornerstone of this concept are investigated: time force, organizational structure of the enterprise, system dynamics and possibilities of its application in scales of all enterprise. Components of positive work of system dynamics of the industrial enterprise are revealed, the trend of critical process of production is built. Considering that modern conditions demand from the enterprises to react, adapt quickly for the changing conditions, the factor of time plays an important role. Therefore the concept of QRM has rather perspective character, focusing attention on time of implementation of the order, in that communication that this parameter is one of key both for the enterprise, and for increase of its

The effect of short-term isometric training on core/torso stiffness.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Benjamin; McGill, Stuart

2017-09-01

"Core" exercise is a basic part of many physical training regimens with goals ranging from rehabilitation of spine and knee injuries to improving athletic performance. Core stiffness has been proposed to perform several functions including reducing pain by minimising joint micro-movements, and enhancing strength and speed performance. This study probes the links between a training approach and immediate but temporary changes in stiffness. Passive and active stiffness was measured on 24 participants; 12 having little to no experience in core training (inexperienced), and the other 12 being athletes experienced to core training methods; before and after a 15 min bout of isometric core exercises. Passive stiffness was assessed on a "frictionless" bending apparatus and active stiffness assessed via a quick release mechanism. Short-term isometric core training increased passive and active stiffness in most directions for both inexperienced and experienced participants, passive left lateral bend among experienced participants being the exception (P core stiffness, in this case following a single session. This may influence performance and injury resilience for a brief period.

Quick scan of the economical, technological and environmental aspects of biomass value chains

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kimball, E.; Urbanus, J.; Bloom, J.G.P.

2011-01-15

Results are presented of the AERTOs project (Associated European Research and Technology Organisations). The objective is to identify, design and implement joint, long-term, sustainable cooperation activities between RTOs (Research and Technology Organisations). The purpose of this work is a bottom-up approach to develop and deploy joint activities towards a Bio-based Economy. The results of this report will deliver input for a more extensive paper about the position of the RTOs in Europe. This report contains a quick scan of various biomass value chains that could emerge. Together with the AERTOs partners several bio-based chains were selected for further evaluation. Next, the technological, economical and environmental aspects of each step of the production chain were determined. By integrating this data over the full chain, the chains could be compared to each other in a consistent way. A sensitivity analysis then provided insight into the bottlenecks in the value chain.

Comparison of GPS-TEC measurements with NeQuick2 and IRI model predictions in the low latitude East African region during varying solar activity period (1998 and 2008-2015)

Science.gov (United States)

Mengistu, E.; Damtie, B.; Moldwin, M. B.; Nigussie, M.

2018-03-01

This paper examines the performances of NeQuick2, the latest available IRI-2016, IRI-2012 and IRI-2007 models in describing the monthly and seasonal mean total electron content (TEC) over the East African region. This is to gain insight into the success of the various model types and versions at characterizing the ionosphere within the equatorial ionization anomaly. TEC derived from five Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers installed at Addis Ababa (ADD, 5.33°N, 111.99°E Geog.), Asab (ASAB, 8.67°N, 116.44°E Geog.), Ambo (ABOO, 5.43°N, 111.05°E Geog.), Nairobi (RCMN, -4.48°N, 108.46°E Geog.) and Nazret (NAZR, 4.78°N, 112.43°E Geog.), are compared with the corresponding values computed using those models during varying solar activity period (1998 and 2008-2015). We found that different models describe the equatorial and anomaly region ionosphere best depending on solar cycle, season and geomagnetic activity levels. Our results show that IRI-2016 is the best model (compared to others in terms of discrepancy range) in estimating the monthly mean GPS-TEC at NAZR, ADD and RCMN stations except at ADD during 2008 and 2012. It is also found that IRI-2012 is the best model in estimating the monthly mean TEC at ABOO station in 2014. IRI show better agreement with observations during June solstice for all the years studied at ADD except in 2012 where NeQuick2 better performs. At NAZR, NeQuick2 better performs in estimating seasonal mean GPS-TEC during 2011, while IRI models are best during 2008-2009. Both NeQuick2 and IRI models underestimate measured TEC for all the seasons at ADD in 2010 but overestimate at NAZR in 2009 and RCMN in 2008. The periodic variations of experimental and modeled TEC have been compared with solar and geomagnetic indices at ABOO and ASAB in 2014 and results indicate that the F10.7 and sunspot number as indices of solar activity seriously affects the TEC variations with periods of 16-32 days followed by the geomagnetic activity on

Molecular Evolution of Slow and Quick Anion Channels (SLACs and QUACs/ALMTs).

Science.gov (United States)

Dreyer, Ingo; Gomez-Porras, Judith Lucia; Riaño-Pachón, Diego Mauricio; Hedrich, Rainer; Geiger, Dietmar

2012-01-01

Electrophysiological analyses conducted about 25 years ago detected two types of anion channels in the plasma membrane of guard cells. One type of channel responds slowly to changes in membrane voltage while the other responds quickly. Consequently, they were named SLAC, for SLow Anion Channel, and QUAC, for QUick Anion Channel. Recently, genes SLAC1 and QUAC1/ALMT12, underlying the two different anion current components, could be identified in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Expression of the gene products in Xenopus oocytes confirmed the quick and slow current kinetics. In this study we provide an overview on our current knowledge on slow and quick anion channels in plants and analyze the molecular evolution of ALMT/QUAC-like and SLAC-like channels. We discovered fingerprints that allow screening databases for these channel types and were able to identify 192 (177 non-redundant) SLAC-like and 422 (402 non-redundant) ALMT/QUAC-like proteins in the fully sequenced genomes of 32 plant species. Phylogenetic analyses provided new insights into the molecular evolution of these channel types. We also combined sequence alignment and clustering with predictions of protein features, leading to the identification of known conserved phosphorylation sites in SLAC1-like channels along with potential sites that have not been yet experimentally confirmed. Using a similar strategy to analyze the hydropathicity of ALMT/QUAC-like channels, we propose a modified topology with additional transmembrane regions that integrates structure and function of these membrane proteins. Our results suggest that cross-referencing phylogenetic analyses with position-specific protein properties and functional data could be a very powerful tool for genome research approaches in general.

Molecular evolution of slow and quick anion channels (SLACs and QUACs/ALMTs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingo eDreyer

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Electrophysiological analyses conducted about 25 years ago detected two types of anion channels in the plasma membrane of guard cells. One type of channel responds slowly to changes in membrane voltage while the other responds quickly. Consequently, they were named SLAC, for SLow Anion Channel, and QUAC, for QUick Anion Channel. Recently, genes SLAC1 and QUAC1/ALMT12, underlying the two different anion current components, could be identified in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Expression of the gene products in Xenopus oocytes confirmed the quick and slow current kinetics. In this study we provide an overview on our current knowledge on slow and quick anion channels in plants and analyze the molecular evolution of ALMT/QUAC-like and SLAC-like channels. We discovered fingerprints that allow screening databases for these channel types and were able to identify 192 (177 non-redundant SLAC-like and 422 (402 non-redundant ALMT/QUAC-like proteins in the fully sequenced genomes of 32 plant species. Phylogenetic analyses provided new insights into the molecular evolution of these channel types. We also combined sequence alignment and clustering with predictions of protein features, leading to the identification of known conserved phosphorylation sites in SLAC1-like channels along with potential sites that have not been yet experimentally confirmed. Using a similar strategy to analyze the hydropathicity of ALMT/QUAC-like channels, we propose a modified topology with additional transmembrane regions that integrates structure and function of these membrane proteins. Our results suggest that cross-referencing phylogenetic analyses with position-specific protein properties and functional data could be a very powerful tool for genome research approaches in general.

Developing and Implementing an Assessment Technique to Measure Linked Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Li; Oueini, Razanne; Lewis, Scott E.

2015-01-01

The links students make among chemistry content is considered essential for a robust, enduring understanding in multiple learning theories. This article describes the development and implementation of an assessment technique, termed a Measure of Linked Concepts, designed to inform instructors on students' understanding of linking content…

Rapid internationalization and long-term performance: The knowledge link

OpenAIRE

García-García, Raquel; García-Canal, Esteban; Guillén, Mauro F.

2017-01-01

Drawing on the knowledge-based view and organizational learning theory, we develop and test a set of hypotheses to provide a first attempt at analyzing the effect of speed of internationalization on long-term performance. Using a panel-data sample of Spanish listed firms (1986-2010), we find that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between speed of internationalization and long-term performance. We also find that whereas technological knowledge steepens this relationship, the diversity...

Isolation of a sex-linked DNA sequence in cranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, W; Fuerst, P A

2001-01-01

A female-specific DNA fragment (CSL-W; crane sex-linked DNA on W chromosome) was cloned from female whooping cranes (Grus americana). From the nucleotide sequence of CSL-W, a set of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers was identified which amplify a 227-230 bp female-specific fragment from all existing crane species and some other noncrane species. A duplicated versions of the DNA segment, which is found to have a larger size (231-235 bp) than CSL-W in both sexes, was also identified, and was designated CSL-NW (crane sex-linked DNA on non-W chromosome). The nucleotide similarity between the sequences of CSL-W and CSL-NW from whooping cranes was 86.3%. The CSL primers do not amplify any sequence from mammalian DNA, limiting the potential for contamination from human sources. Using the CSL primers in combination with a quick DNA extraction method allows the noninvasive identification of crane gender in less than 10 h. A test of the methodology was carried out on fully developed body feathers from 18 captive cranes and resulted in 100% successful identification.

Development of a simple and quick immunochromatography method for detection of anti-HPV-16/-18 antibodies

Science.gov (United States)

Endo, Fumiko; Tabata, Tsutomu; Sadato, Daichi; Kawamura, Machiko; Ando, Noriyuki; Ukaji, Masako; Kobayashi, Kaoru; Kobayashi, Yukuharu; Ikeda, Tomoaki; Shibasaki, Futoshi

2017-01-01

Immunochromatography (IC) is widely used to detect target molecules in biological fluids. Since this method can be performed without a special technique or device, IC is a convenient way to assess the existence of antibodies or pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, simply and quickly. In this study, we established an IC method to detect serum antibodies against oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 and HPV-18 L1 proteins using recombinant L1 proteins produced by silkworms as antigens. Infection of oncogenic HPVs is a major risk factor of cervical cancer, which is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide. We first measured blood sera of two groups by magnetic beads enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (MB-ELISA). For the first group, sera were collected prospectively from young women who planned to receive HPV vaccination. The second group consisted of children under 20 years of age, non-vaccinated healthy women, vaccinated healthy women, dysplasia, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III, and cervical cancer patients. We confirmed that standard vaccination doses significantly increased serum HPV antibody concentrations, and the level was sustained at least more than 30 months after vaccination. In contrast, an increase in antibody concentration was not observed in patients with precancerous cervical changes and cervical cancer. We next measured the samples in both groups using the IC method we originally developed, and found that the measurement values of IC highly correlated with those of MB-ELISA. The simple and quick IC method would be a useful tool for rapid monitoring of L1 specific antibody levels in a non-laboratory environment. With less than one drop of serum, our IC can easily detect serum HPV-16/-18 antibodies within 15 minutes, without the need for electronic devices or techniques. PMID:28158224

Development of a simple and quick immunochromatography method for detection of anti-HPV-16/-18 antibodies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fumiko Endo

Full Text Available Immunochromatography (IC is widely used to detect target molecules in biological fluids. Since this method can be performed without a special technique or device, IC is a convenient way to assess the existence of antibodies or pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, simply and quickly. In this study, we established an IC method to detect serum antibodies against oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV-16 and HPV-18 L1 proteins using recombinant L1 proteins produced by silkworms as antigens. Infection of oncogenic HPVs is a major risk factor of cervical cancer, which is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide. We first measured blood sera of two groups by magnetic beads enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (MB-ELISA. For the first group, sera were collected prospectively from young women who planned to receive HPV vaccination. The second group consisted of children under 20 years of age, non-vaccinated healthy women, vaccinated healthy women, dysplasia, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III, and cervical cancer patients. We confirmed that standard vaccination doses significantly increased serum HPV antibody concentrations, and the level was sustained at least more than 30 months after vaccination. In contrast, an increase in antibody concentration was not observed in patients with precancerous cervical changes and cervical cancer. We next measured the samples in both groups using the IC method we originally developed, and found that the measurement values of IC highly correlated with those of MB-ELISA. The simple and quick IC method would be a useful tool for rapid monitoring of L1 specific antibody levels in a non-laboratory environment. With less than one drop of serum, our IC can easily detect serum HPV-16/-18 antibodies within 15 minutes, without the need for electronic devices or techniques.

40 CFR 22.18 - Quick resolution; settlement; alternative dispute resolution.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...; alternative dispute resolution. 22.18 Section 22.18 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY...; alternative dispute resolution. (a) Quick resolution. (1) A respondent may resolve the proceeding at any time... complaint. (d) Alternative means of dispute resolution. (1) The parties may engage in any process within the...

Narcissism and the Strategic Pursuit of Short-Term Mating: Universal Links across 11 World Regions of the International Sexuality Description Project-2

OpenAIRE

Schmitt, David P.; Alcalay, Lidia; Allik, Jüri; Alves, I. C. B.; Anderson, Craig A.; Angelini, A. L.; Asendorpf, Jens B.; Austers, Ivars; Balaguer, Isabel; Baptista, Américo; Bender, Sóley S.; Bennett, Kevin; Bianchi, Gabriel; Bianchi, Behrooz; Bleske-Rechek, April

2017-01-01

Previous studies have documented links between sub-clinical narcissism and the active pursuit of short-term mating strategies (e.g., unrestricted sociosexuality, marital infidelity, mate poaching). Nearly all of these investigations have relied solely on samples from Western cultures. In the current study, responses from a cross-cultural survey of 30,470 people across 53 nations spanning 11 world regions (North America, Central/South America, Northern Europe, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, S...

Narcissism and the strategic pursuit of short-term mating : universal links across 11 world regions of the International Sexuality Description Project-2.

OpenAIRE

Schmitt, David; Alcalay, Lidia; Allik, Jüri; Alves, I.C.B.; Anderson, Craig; Angelini, A.L.; Asendorpf, Jens; Austers, Ivars; Balaguer, Isabel; Baptista, Américo; Bender, Sóley; Bennett, Kevin; Bianchi, Gabriel; Birashk, Behrooz; Bleske, April

2017-01-01

Previous studies have documented links between sub-clinical narcissism and the active pursuit of short-term mating strategies (e.g., unrestricted sociosexuality, marital infidelity, mate poaching). Nearly all of these investigations have relied solely on samples from Western cultures. In the current study, responses from a cross-cultural survey of 30,470 people across 53 nations spanning 11 world regions (North America, Central/South America, Northern Europe, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, S...

Quick profile-reorganization driven by helical field perturbation for suppressing tokamak major disruptions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamazaki, K.; Kawahata, K.; Ando, R.

1986-09-01

Disruptive behavior of magnetic field configuration leading to tokamak major disruption is found to be controlled by a mild ''mini-disruption'' which is induced by the compact external modular multipole-field coils with m = 3/n = 2 dominant helical field component in the JIPP T-IIU tokamak. This mini-disruption ergodizes the m = 2/n = 1 magnetic island quickly but mildly and then prevents the profile of electron temperature from flattening. This quick profile-reorganization is effective to avoid the two-step disruption (pre- and major disuptions) responsible for the chatastrophic current termination. (author)

Quick-E-scan: A methodology for the energy scan of SMEs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cagno, E.; Trucco, P.; Trianni, A.; Sala, G.

2010-01-01

This paper introduces the Quick-E-Scan methodology that has been developed to achieve the operational energy efficiency of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), characterized by being scarcely disposed to long energy audits and by a limited budget for energy management programs. On one side, through dividing the firm into functional units - either service (lighting, HVAC, etc.) or production units - the main consuming areas are identified and a criticality index is defined; conversely, an enhancement index highlights the gap of each unit towards the best available techniques (BATs) in energy management programs. Finally, a priority index, created with the junction of the two indexes, points out the most profitable areas in which energy saving measures should be implemented. The methodology, particularly quick and simple, has been successfully tested in 38 SMEs in Northern Italy.

A Quick Surgical Treatment of Conjunctivochalasis Using Radiofrequencies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Trivli

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The purpose of our study is to present a quick surgical procedure for the treatment of Conjunctivochalasis (CCH and to evaluate its effectiveness. Thirty consecutive patients, in whom CCH was diagnosed on clinical examination, were investigated for the presence of symptoms of dry eye. The 60 eyes were evaluated according to their symptomatology and the 40 symptomatic eyes were grouped in two stages using the LIPCOF (stage 1, one small fold; stage 2, more than two folds but not higher than the tear meniscus classification and included in the study. After a subconjunctival injection of lidocaine 20 mg/mL, a medium frequency alternating current (RF was used, adjusted in low power. With a wide tip, redundant conjunctiva was ablated leaving space between the ablations. Postoperative treatment included eye oint.gentamicin 0.3% with dexamethasone 0.03% three times a day for 5 days. At postoperative day 10, conjunctival edema had subsided and conjunctival epithelium was intact after fluorescein staining. Symptoms had improved in all patients. During follow-up, no complication was detected. Mild conjunctival hyperemia was present in all cases but resolved with standard postoperative medications. To conclude, CCh treatment with RF appears to be a safe, quick, and effective surgical technique. Operation time is less than 10 min and can be performed in an outpatient clinic.

Preventing distortion of quick couplers of hoses of central pipe lines--a cheap and simple method.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamath S

1995-01-01

Full Text Available A cheap and practical approach of steel chains attached to the station outlet quick couplers helps in maintaining the shape of the quick couplers and ensures their effective functioning over a long period of time and avoids mishap of connection due to damage of these couplers.

LERC-SLAM - THE NASA LEWIS RESEARCH CENTER SATELLITE LINK ATTENUATION MODEL PROGRAM (MACINTOSH VERSION)

Science.gov (United States)

Manning, R. M.

1994-01-01

The frequency and intensity of rain attenuation affecting the communication between a satellite and an earth terminal is an important consideration in planning satellite links. The NASA Lewis Research Center Satellite Link Attenuation Model Program (LeRC-SLAM) provides a static and dynamic statistical assessment of the impact of rain attenuation on a communications link established between an earth terminal and a geosynchronous satellite. The program is designed for use in the specification, design and assessment of satellite links for any terminal location in the continental United States. The basis for LeRC-SLAM is the ACTS Rain Attenuation Prediction Model, which uses a log-normal cumulative probability distribution to describe the random process of rain attenuation on satellite links. The derivation of the statistics for the rainrate process at the specified terminal location relies on long term rainfall records compiled by the U.S. Weather Service during time periods of up to 55 years in length. The theory of extreme value statistics is also utilized. The user provides 1) the longitudinal position of the satellite in geosynchronous orbit, 2) the geographical position of the earth terminal in terms of latitude and longitude, 3) the height above sea level of the terminal site, 4) the yearly average rainfall at the terminal site, and 5) the operating frequency of the communications link (within 1 to 1000 GHz, inclusive). Based on the yearly average rainfall at the terminal location, LeRC-SLAM calculates the relevant rain statistics for the site using an internal data base. The program then generates rain attenuation data for the satellite link. This data includes a description of the static (i.e., yearly) attenuation process, an evaluation of the cumulative probability distribution for attenuation effects, and an evaluation of the probability of fades below selected fade depths. In addition, LeRC-SLAM calculates the elevation and azimuth angles of the terminal

Substitution of valine for glycine-558 in the congenital dysthrombin thrombin Quick II alters primary substrate specificity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henriksen, R.A.; Mann, K.G. (Univ. of Vermont, Burlington (USA))

1989-03-07

Thrombin Quick II is one of two dysfunctional forms of thrombin derived from the previously described congenital dysprothrombin prothrombin Quick. Thrombin Quick II does not clot fibrinogen, hydrolyze p-nitroanilide substrates of thrombin, or bind N{sup 2}-(5-(dimethylamino)naphthalene-1-sulfonyl)arginine N,N-(3-ethyl-1,5-pentanediyl)amide, a high-affinity competitive inhibitor of thrombin. To determine the structural alteration in thrombin Quick II, the reduced, carboxymethylated protein was hydrolyzed by a lysyl endopeptidase. A peptide not present in a parallel thrombin hydrolysate was identified by reverse-phase chromatography. This Gly residue, which is highly conserved in the chymotrypsin family of serine proteases, forms part of the substrate binding pocket for bulky aromatic and basic side chains in chymotrypsin and trypsin, respectively. However, in porcine elastase 1, the corresponding residue is threonine. Consistent with the identified structural alteration, thrombin Quick II incorporates ({sup 3}H)diisopropyl fluorophosphate stoichiometrically and hydrolyzes the elastase substrate succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Leu-p-nitroanilide with a relative k{sub cat}/K{sub M} of 0.14 when compared to thrombin. This results from a 3-fold increase in K{sub M} and a 2.5-fold decrease in k{sub cat} for thrombin Quick II when compared to thrombin acting on the same substrate. These results and those of other investigators studying mutant trypsins support the conclusion that the catalytic activity of serine proteases is very sensitive to structural alterations in the primary substrate binding pocket.

BioNames: linking taxonomy, texts, and trees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roderic D.M. Page

2013-10-01

Full Text Available BioNames is a web database of taxonomic names for animals, linked to the primary literature and, wherever possible, to phylogenetic trees. It aims to provide a taxonomic “dashboard” where at a glance we can see a summary of the taxonomic and phylogenetic information we have for a given taxon and hence provide a quick answer to the basic question “what is this taxon?” BioNames combines classifications from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF and GenBank, images from the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL, animal names from the Index of Organism Names (ION, and bibliographic data from multiple sources including the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL and CrossRef. The user interface includes display of full text articles, interactive timelines of taxonomic publications, and zoomable phylogenies. It is available at http://bionames.org.

TESS Data Processing and Quick-look Pipeline

Science.gov (United States)

Fausnaugh, Michael; Huang, Xu; Glidden, Ana; Guerrero, Natalia; TESS Science Office

2018-01-01

We describe the data analysis procedures and pipelines for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). We briefly review the processing pipeline developed and implemented by the Science Processing Operations Center (SPOC) at NASA Ames, including pixel/full-frame image calibration, photometric analysis, pre-search data conditioning, transiting planet search, and data validation. We also describe data-quality diagnostic analyses and photometric performance assessment tests. Finally, we detail a "quick-look pipeline" (QLP) that has been developed by the MIT branch of the TESS Science Office (TSO) to provide a fast and adaptable routine to search for planet candidates in the 30 minute full-frame images.

Bottom-linked innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Catharina Juul

2018-01-01

hitherto been paid little explicit attention, namely collaboration between middle managers and employees in innovation processes. In contrast to most studies, middle managers and employees are here both subjects of explicit investigation. The collaboration processes explored in this article are termed...... ‘bottom-linked innovation’. The empirical analysis is based on an in-depth qualitative study of bottom-linked innovation in a public frontline institution in Denmark. By combining research on employee-driven innovation and middle management, the article offers new insights into such collaborative......Employee-driven innovation is gaining ground as a strategy for developing sustainable organisations in the public and private sector. This type of innovation is characterised by active employee participation, and the bottom-up perspective is often emphasised. This article explores an issue that has...

A scoping review to understand the effectiveness of linking schemes from healthcare providers to community resources to improve the health and well-being of people with long-term conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mossabir, Rahena; Morris, Rebecca; Kennedy, Anne; Blickem, Christian; Rogers, Anne

2015-09-01

The prevalence of people living with long-term conditions is increasing, accompanied by an increased expectation that patients will become more involved in self-management. Long-term conditions are associated with increased social isolation and poor physical and mental health. But there remains a gap in health provision between providing medical treatment and effectively addressing psychosocial well-being. One potential way of addressing this gap is by utilising social interventions which link patients from health services to community-based sources of support. However, the mechanisms involved in the delivery of interventions providing that link and their effectiveness remain unclear. This review adopted the methodological framework for conducting scoping studies, searching for both academic and grey literature on social interventions which link people from healthcare settings to a range of community and voluntary sector organisations. A literature search between May and June 2013, involving five electronic databases, hand searching of two journals and the use of Google search engine, identified seven studies relevant to the review question. In terms of key characteristics and mechanisms of the interventions, mental health conditions and social isolation were the most common reasons for referral to the interventions, and referrals were usually made through general practices. Almost all the interventions were facilitator-led, whereby the facilitator worked to identify and link participants to appropriate community-based resources. In regard to health and social outcomes and their cost-effectiveness, studies reported improvement to participants' psychological and social well-being as well as their decreased use of health services, although there were limited measures of participants' physical health outcomes. Interventions for linking patients from healthcare setting to community-based resources target and address psychosocial needs of participants. The review

PATHOS: a quick screening method for assessing sexual addiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Pennie; Cashwell, Craig S; Cress, Jim; Barber, Tim; Dunn, Mary Clayton

2013-01-01

Pastors may understand that sex addiction exists and are frequently faced with people who need non-clinical and clinical services for the addiction. However, the pastoral counselors have no quick reliable method of assessing them. The purpose of this article is to define sexual addiction and provide information about a tool called PATHOS that can be used in clinical and non-clinical settings to identify potential sex addicts.

Linked Data - the story so far

OpenAIRE

Bizer, Christian; Heath, Tom; Berners-Lee, Tim

2009-01-01

The term “Linked Data” refers to a set of best practices for publishing and connecting structured data on the Web. These best practices have been adopted by an increasing number of data providers over the last three years, leading to the creation of a global data space containing billions of assertions— the Web of Data. In this article, the authors present the concept and technical principles of Linked Data, and situate these within the broader context of related technological developments. T...

Relationship-Oriented Software Defined AS-Level Fast Rerouting for Multiple Link Failures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunxiu Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Large-scale deployments of mission-critical services have led to stringent demands on Internet routing, but frequently occurring network failures can dramatically degrade the network performance. However, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP can not react quickly to recover from them. Although extensive research has been conducted to deal with the problem, the multiple failure scenarios have never been properly addressed due to the limit of distributed control plane. In this paper, we propose a local fast reroute approach to effectively recover from multiple link failures in one administrative domain. The principle of Software Defined Networking (SDN is used to achieve the software defined AS-level fast rerouting. Considering AS relationships, efficient algorithms are proposed to automatically and dynamically find protection paths for multiple link failures; then OpenFlow forwarding rules are installed on routers to provide data forwarding continuity. Our approach is able to ensure applicability to ASes with flexibility and adaptability to multiple link failures, contributing toward improving the network performance. Through experimental results, we show that our proposal provides effective failure recovery and does not introduce significant control overhead to the network.

LERC-SLAM - THE NASA LEWIS RESEARCH CENTER SATELLITE LINK ATTENUATION MODEL PROGRAM (IBM PC VERSION)

Science.gov (United States)

Manning, R. M.

1994-01-01

The frequency and intensity of rain attenuation affecting the communication between a satellite and an earth terminal is an important consideration in planning satellite links. The NASA Lewis Research Center Satellite Link Attenuation Model Program (LeRC-SLAM) provides a static and dynamic statistical assessment of the impact of rain attenuation on a communications link established between an earth terminal and a geosynchronous satellite. The program is designed for use in the specification, design and assessment of satellite links for any terminal location in the continental United States. The basis for LeRC-SLAM is the ACTS Rain Attenuation Prediction Model, which uses a log-normal cumulative probability distribution to describe the random process of rain attenuation on satellite links. The derivation of the statistics for the rainrate process at the specified terminal location relies on long term rainfall records compiled by the U.S. Weather Service during time periods of up to 55 years in length. The theory of extreme value statistics is also utilized. The user provides 1) the longitudinal position of the satellite in geosynchronous orbit, 2) the geographical position of the earth terminal in terms of latitude and longitude, 3) the height above sea level of the terminal site, 4) the yearly average rainfall at the terminal site, and 5) the operating frequency of the communications link (within 1 to 1000 GHz, inclusive). Based on the yearly average rainfall at the terminal location, LeRC-SLAM calculates the relevant rain statistics for the site using an internal data base. The program then generates rain attenuation data for the satellite link. This data includes a description of the static (i.e., yearly) attenuation process, an evaluation of the cumulative probability distribution for attenuation effects, and an evaluation of the probability of fades below selected fade depths. In addition, LeRC-SLAM calculates the elevation and azimuth angles of the terminal

Design of a Lunar Quick-Attach Mechanism to Hummer Vehicle Mounting Interface

Science.gov (United States)

Grismore, David A.

2010-01-01

This report presents my work experiences while I was an intern with NASA (National Aeronautic and Space Administration) in the Spring of2010 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) launch facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida as a member of the NASA USRP (Undergraduate Student Research Program) program. I worked in the Surface Systems (NE-S) group during the internship. Within NE-S, two ASRC (Arctic Slope Regional Corporation) contract engineers, A.J. Nick and Jason Schuler, had developed a "Quick-Attach" mechanism for the Chariot Rover, the next generation lunar rover. My project was to design, analyze, and possibly fabricate a mounting interface between their "Quick-Attach" and a Hummer vehicle. This interface was needed because it would increase their capabilities to test the Quick Attach and its various attachments, as they do not have access to a Chariot Rover at KSC. I utilized both Pro Engineer, a 3D CAD software package, and a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) known as a FAROarm to collect data and create my design. I relied on hand calculations and the Mechanica analysis tool within Pro Engineer to perform stress analysis on the design. After finishing the design, I began working on creating professional level CAD drawings and issuing them into the KSC design database known as DDMS before the end of the internship.

Topside Electron Density Representations for Middle and High Latitudes: A Topside Parameterization for E-CHAIM Based On the NeQuick

Science.gov (United States)

Themens, David R.; Jayachandran, P. T.; Bilitza, Dieter; Erickson, Philip J.; Häggström, Ingemar; Lyashenko, Mykhaylo V.; Reid, Benjamin; Varney, Roger H.; Pustovalova, Ljubov

2018-02-01

In this study, we present a topside model representation to be used by the Empirical Canadian High Arctic Ionospheric Model (E-CHAIM). In the process of this, we also present a comprehensive evaluation of the NeQuick's, and by extension the International Reference Ionosphere's, topside electron density model for middle and high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Using data gathered from all available incoherent scatter radars, topside sounders, and Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation satellites, we show that the current NeQuick parameterization suboptimally represents the shape of the topside electron density profile at these latitudes and performs poorly in the representation of seasonal and solar cycle variations of the topside scale thickness. Despite this, the simple, one variable, NeQuick model is a powerful tool for modeling the topside ionosphere. By refitting the parameters that define the maximum topside scale thickness and the rate of increase of the scale height within the NeQuick topside model function, r and g, respectively, and refitting the model's parameterization of the scale height at the F region peak, H0, we find considerable improvement in the NeQuick's ability to represent the topside shape and behavior. Building on these results, we present a new topside model extension of the E-CHAIM based on the revised NeQuick function. Overall, root-mean-square errors in topside electron density are improved over the traditional International Reference Ionosphere/NeQuick topside by 31% for a new NeQuick parameterization and by 36% for a newly proposed topside for E-CHAIM.

Linking forms of inbound open innovation to a driver-based typology of environmental innovation: Evidence from French manufacturing firms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li-Ying, Jason; Mothe, Caroline; Nguyen, Thi Thuc Uyen

2017-01-01

Environmental innovation research has not yet clarified how different forms of inbound innovation might exert effects. The current article proposes four driver-based EI types according to two main dimensions: compliance versus voluntary and own value capture versus customer value capture. With a ......Environmental innovation research has not yet clarified how different forms of inbound innovation might exert effects. The current article proposes four driver-based EI types according to two main dimensions: compliance versus voluntary and own value capture versus customer value capture....... With a problem-solving perspective, we develop links from different forms of inbound innovation to various types of EI and test the related hypotheses with two waves of the French Community Innovation Survey. On a short-term basis, R&D cooperation and technology acquisition correlate positively with all four...... types of EI, but over time, persistent R&D cooperation and technology acquisition are associated with EI only at the production stage, according to voluntary/strategic or compliance drivers. Inbound innovation enables quick responses to market demands for EI in the final use stage....

Quick insulin radioimmunoassay and its utilization for intra operative localization of insulinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ursich, M.J.M.; Fukui, R.T.; Aguiar Pupo, A. de; Machado, M.C.C.

1988-01-01

A quick insuLin radioimmunoassay performed in 90 minutes is described and the results are compared with those obtained with the conventional method. The realibility of the new procedure is pointed. (M.A.C.) [pt

Quick probabilistic binary image matching: changing the rules of the game

Science.gov (United States)

Mustafa, Adnan A. Y.

2016-09-01

A Probabilistic Matching Model for Binary Images (PMMBI) is presented that predicts the probability of matching binary images with any level of similarity. The model relates the number of mappings, the amount of similarity between the images and the detection confidence. We show the advantage of using a probabilistic approach to matching in similarity space as opposed to a linear search in size space. With PMMBI a complete model is available to predict the quick detection of dissimilar binary images. Furthermore, the similarity between the images can be measured to a good degree if the images are highly similar. PMMBI shows that only a few pixels need to be compared to detect dissimilarity between images, as low as two pixels in some cases. PMMBI is image size invariant; images of any size can be matched at the same quick speed. Near-duplicate images can also be detected without much difficulty. We present tests on real images that show the prediction accuracy of the model.

ZnO-Based Microfluidic pH Sensor: A Versatile Approach for Quick Recognition of Circulating Tumor Cells in Blood.

Science.gov (United States)

Mani, Ganesh Kumar; Morohoshi, Madoka; Yasoda, Yutaka; Yokoyama, Sho; Kimura, Hiroshi; Tsuchiya, Kazuyoshi

2017-02-15

The present study is concerned about the development of highly sensitive and stable microfluidic pH sensor for possible identification of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood. The precise pH measurements between silver-silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) reference electrode and zinc oxide (ZnO) working electrode have been investigated in the microfluidic device. Since there is a direct link between pH and cancer cells, the developed device is one of the valuable tools to examine circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood. The ZnO-based working electrode was deposited by radio frequency (rf) sputtering technique. The potential voltage difference between the working and reference electrodes (Ag/AgCl) is evaluated on the microfluidic device. The ideal Nernstian response of -43.71165 mV/pH was achieved along with high stability and quick response time. Finally, to evaluate the real time capability of the developed microfluidic device, in vitro testing was done with A549, A7r5, and MDCK cells.

A Strategic Analysis of a Vegetarian Quick-Service Franchise

OpenAIRE

McLean, Scott

2011-01-01

The purpose of this report is to assess the potential success rate of Lean, a vegetarian quick-service restaurant franchise currently in its infancy, in both the local Vancouver market where Lean is attempting to launch, as well as assess the potential growth opportunities for franchise locations. The industry analysis done on the foodservice industry indicates that it is a competitive industry that is highly saturated with many players. It also indicates that Lean is attempting to undertake ...

An Opportunistic Routing Mechanism Combined with Long-Term and Short-Term Metrics for WMN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weifeng Sun

2014-01-01

Full Text Available WMN (wireless mesh network is a useful wireless multihop network with tremendous research value. The routing strategy decides the performance of network and the quality of transmission. A good routing algorithm will use the whole bandwidth of network and assure the quality of service of traffic. Since the routing metric ETX (expected transmission count does not assure good quality of wireless links, to improve the routing performance, an opportunistic routing mechanism combined with long-term and short-term metrics for WMN based on OLSR (optimized link state routing and ETX is proposed in this paper. This mechanism always chooses the highest throughput links to improve the performance of routing over WMN and then reduces the energy consumption of mesh routers. The simulations and analyses show that the opportunistic routing mechanism is better than the mechanism with the metric of ETX.

An opportunistic routing mechanism combined with long-term and short-term metrics for WMN.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Weifeng; Wang, Haotian; Piao, Xianglan; Qiu, Tie

2014-01-01

WMN (wireless mesh network) is a useful wireless multihop network with tremendous research value. The routing strategy decides the performance of network and the quality of transmission. A good routing algorithm will use the whole bandwidth of network and assure the quality of service of traffic. Since the routing metric ETX (expected transmission count) does not assure good quality of wireless links, to improve the routing performance, an opportunistic routing mechanism combined with long-term and short-term metrics for WMN based on OLSR (optimized link state routing) and ETX is proposed in this paper. This mechanism always chooses the highest throughput links to improve the performance of routing over WMN and then reduces the energy consumption of mesh routers. The simulations and analyses show that the opportunistic routing mechanism is better than the mechanism with the metric of ETX.

Effect-driven QuickChecking of compilers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Midtgaard, Jan; Justesen, Mathias Nygaard; Kasting, Patrick Frederik Soelmark

2017-01-01

How does one test a language implementation with QuickCheck (aka. property-based testing)? One approach is to generate programs following the grammar of the language. But in a statically-typed language such as OCaml too many of these candidate programs will be rejected as ill-typed by the type...... checker. As a refinement Pałka et al. propose to generate programs in a goal-directed, bottom-up reading up of the typing relation. We have written such a generator. However many of the generated programs has output that depend on the evaluation order, which is commonly under-specified in languages...... such as OCaml, Scheme, C, C++, etc. In this paper we develop a type and effect system for conservatively detecting evaluation-order dependence and propose its goal-directed reading as a generator of programs that are independent of evaluation order. We illustrate the approach by generating programs to test...

Bibliometric analysis of scientific production about Linked Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leandro Dal Pizzol

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Since Tim Berners-Lee coined the term Linked Data in 2006, many studies have emerged based on this initiative. Whether in the form of information access initiatives, whether in applications based on this data type, the interest in this new way to publish and consume information on the Web is increasingly in focus. Objective: In this paper, we present a bibliometric review with the aim of contributing to a better understanding and clarification of concepts and terms associated with the area of Linked Data. Methodology: We have used the Web of Science (WoS, Scopus, EBSCO and IEEE scientific databases, in order to find the existing studies about Linked Data until October 2012. Results: We have mapped 148 scientific papers that address the above issue, written by 409 authors from 160 institutions from 30 different countries. Through the analysis of the articles, it was found that researches about Linked Data are concentrated in a small authors group, suggesting future research opportunities. Conclusions: Synthesizing the information related to the scientific publications in a given area allows building a theoretical background that supports the development of future researches.

C. elegans positive butanone learning, short-term, and long-term associative memory assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Kauffman, Amanda; Parsons, Lance; Stein, Geneva; Wills, Airon; Kaletsky, Rachel; Murphy, Coleen

2011-03-11

The memory of experiences and learned information is critical for organisms to make choices that aid their survival. C. elegans navigates its environment through neuron-specific detection of food and chemical odors, and can associate nutritive states with chemical odors, temperature, and the pathogenicity of a food source. Here, we describe assays of C. elegans associative learning and short- and long-term associative memory. We modified an aversive olfactory learning paradigm to instead produce a positive response; the assay involves starving ~400 worms, then feeding the worms in the presence of the AWC neuron-sensed volatile chemoattractant butanone at a concentration that elicits a low chemotactic index (similar to Toroyama et al.). A standard population chemotaxis assay1 tests the worms' attraction to the odorant immediately or minutes to hours after conditioning. After conditioning, wild-type animals' chemotaxis to butanone increases ~0.6 Chemotaxis Index units, its "Learning Index". Associative learning is dependent on the presence of both food and butanone during training. Pairing food and butanone for a single conditioning period ("massed training") produces short-term associative memory that lasts ~2 hours. Multiple conditioning periods with rest periods between ("spaced training") yields long-term associative memory (long-term memory across species. Our protocol also includes image analysis methods for quick and accurate determination of chemotaxis indices. High-contrast images of animals on chemotaxis assay plates are captured and analyzed by worm counting software in MatLab. The software corrects for uneven background using a morphological tophat transformation. Otsu's method is then used to determine a threshold to separate worms from the background. Very small particles are removed automatically and larger non-worm regions (plate edges or agar punches) are removed by manual selection. The software then estimates the size of single worm by ignoring

Independence of Terminal-Link Entry Rate and Immediacy in Concurrent Chains

Science.gov (United States)

Berg, Mark E.; Grace, Randolph C.

2004-01-01

In Phase 1, 4 pigeons were trained on a three-component multiple concurrent-chains procedure in which components differed only in terms of relative terminal-link entry rate. The terminal links were variable-interval schedules and were varied across four conditions to produce immediacy ratios of 4:1, 1:4, 2:1, and 1:2. Relative terminal-link entry…

Software support: Pre-empting the quick question. [User's support group at Fermilab

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loebel, L.

1987-09-01

High energy physicists, researchers and graduate students, from universities all around the world come to Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory to do their experiments. They use our computer facilities to perform all phases of their data-analysis and presentation. We have a large turnover of users and a rather small support group, in a multi-vendor environment. We strive to make our users self-sufficient through the use of well-publicized maintenance procedures, documentation systems, and product support standards. By these pre-emptive measures we attempt to have quick answers at hand for the truly quick questions, leaving us time for the interesting problems.

Child CPR

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... AID, CPR and AED LIFEGUARDING Refresher Child - CPR (1:11) QUICK LINKS Home RedCross.org Purchase Course Materials Shop Our Store Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions All rights reserved. 2011 American National Red Cross.

Corneal collagen cross-linking in the stabilization of PRK, LASIK, thermal keratoplasty, and orthokeratology.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Michelle K; Chuck, Roy S

2013-07-01

To describe the use of corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) and its efficacy in the stabilization of keratorefractive procedures, including PRK, laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK), thermal keratoplasty, and orthokeratology. Since its introduction, CXL has quickly gained interest in the treatment of ectactic disorders due to its ability to increase the biomechanical stability of the cornea. In its earliest use, it has shown to be effective in the treatment of both keratoconus and post-LASIK ectasia. More recent studies of CXL in combination with keratorefractive procedures have shown varying degrees of success. CXL with PRK has shown to be effective in slowing or halting the progression of keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, and post-LASIK ectasia, in addition to potentially decreasing or delaying the need for penetrating keratoplasty. Several small case series have also demonstrated improved stability and efficacy of PRK and LASIK when combined with CXL, as well as a potentially decreased risk of postprocedure ectasia. In conjunction with thermokeratoplasty and orthokeratology, CXL has shown improved but only temporary results in the treatment of keratoconus. Future studies are needed to determine the efficacy and long-term stability of CXL in combination with keratorefractive procedures, as well as to address possible complications.

Implementation of linked data in the life sciences at BioHackathon 2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Aoki-Kinoshita, Kiyoko F; Kinjo, Akira R; Morita, Mizuki; Igarashi, Yoshinobu; Chen, Yi-An; Shigemoto, Yasumasa; Fujisawa, Takatomo; Akune, Yukie; Katoda, Takeo; Kokubu, Anna; Mori, Takaaki; Nakao, Mitsuteru; Kawashima, Shuichi; Okamoto, Shinobu; Katayama, Toshiaki; Ogishima, Soichi

2015-01-01

Linked Data has gained some attention recently in the life sciences as an effective way to provide and share data. As a part of the Semantic Web, data are linked so that a person or machine can explore the web of data. Resource Description Framework (RDF) is the standard means of implementing Linked Data. In the process of generating RDF data, not only are data simply linked to one another, the links themselves are characterized by ontologies, thereby allowing the types of links to be distinguished. Although there is a high labor cost to define an ontology for data providers, the merit lies in the higher level of interoperability with data analysis and visualization software. This increase in interoperability facilitates the multi-faceted retrieval of data, and the appropriate data can be quickly extracted and visualized. Such retrieval is usually performed using the SPARQL (SPARQL Protocol and RDF Query Language) query language, which is used to query RDF data stores. For the database provider, such interoperability will surely lead to an increase in the number of users. This manuscript describes the experiences and discussions shared among participants of the week-long BioHackathon 2011 who went through the development of RDF representations of their own data and developed specific RDF and SPARQL use cases. Advice regarding considerations to take when developing RDF representations of their data are provided for bioinformaticians considering making data available and interoperable. Participants of the BioHackathon 2011 were able to produce RDF representations of their data and gain a better understanding of the requirements for producing such data in a period of just five days. We summarize the work accomplished with the hope that it will be useful for researchers involved in developing laboratory databases or data analysis, and those who are considering such technologies as RDF and Linked Data.

Effect of Exercise Program Speed, Agility, and Quickness (SAQ) in Improving Speed, Agility, and Acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Azmi, K.; Kusnanik, N. W.

2018-01-01

This study aimed to analyze the effect of speed, agility and quickness training program to increase in speed, agility and acceleration. This study was conducted at 26 soccer players and divided into 2 groups with 13 players each group. Group 1 was given SAQ training program, and Group 2 conventional training program for 8 weeks. This study used a quantitative approach with quasi-experimental method. The design of this study used a matching-only design. Data was collected by testing 30-meter sprint (speed), agility t-test (agility), and run 10 meters (acceleration) during the pretest and posttest. Furthermore, the data was analyzed using paired sample t-test and independent t-test. The results showed: that there was a significant effect of speed, agility and quickness training program in improving in speed, agility and acceleration. In summary, it can be concluded that the speed, agility and quickness training program can improve the speed, agility and acceleration of the soccer players.

TMI-2 quick look examination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franz, W.A.; Rider, R.L.; Austin, W.A.; Cole, N.

1982-01-01

The purpose of this work, conducted under the Department of Energy's Reactor Evaluation Program, was to gain the earliest possible access to the TMI-2 reactor vessel and to determine the condition of the plenum assembly and the reactor core. Completion of this examination has also provided substantial progress towards removal of the reactor vessel head and eventual defueling. Two methods were developed for gaining through-head access. The first involves removal of an entire CRDM, providing a 6.8-cm-diameter access through the nozzle. In case normal uncoupling proved unsuccessful, contingency techniques were developed to disconnect the leadscrew. Two contingency procedures, one ex-head and one in-head, were developed. A second technique for through-head access, the so-called Quick Look technique, was developed at the suggestion of the Technical Assessment and Advisory Group (TAAG), a group of senior technical people funded by DOE to advise GPU Nuclear on the TMI-2 recovery. This simplified method involves uncoupling and removing a CRDM leadscrew by basically normal methods and inserting a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera directly through the space vacated by the leadscrew

Innovative approach for low-cost quick-access small payload missions

Science.gov (United States)

Friis, Jan W., Jr.

2000-11-01

A significant part of the burgeoning commercial space industry is placing an unprecedented number of satellites into low earth orbit for a variety of new applications and services. By some estimates the commercial space industry now exceeds that of government space activities. Yet the two markets remain largely separate, with each deploying dedicated satellites and infrastructure for their respective missions. One commercial space firm, Final Analysis, has created a new program wherein either government, scientific or new technology payloads can be integrated on a commercial spacecraft on commercial satellites for a variety of mission scenarios at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated mission. NASA has recognized the advantage of this approach, and has awarded the Quick Ride program to provide frequent, low cost flight opportunities for small independent payloads aboard the Final Analysis constellation, and investigators are rapidly developing science programs that conform to the proposed payload accommodations envelope. Missions that were not feasible using dedicated launches are now receiving approval under the lower cost Quick Ride approach. Final Analysis has dedicated ten out of its thirty-eight satellites in support of the Quick Ride efforts. The benefit of this type of space access extend beyond NASA science programs. Commercial space firms can now gain valuable flight heritage for new technology and satellite product offerings. Further, emerging international space programs can now place a payload in orbit enabling the country to allocate its resources against the payload and mission requirements rather htan increased launch costs of a dedicated spacecraft. Finally, the low cost nature provides University-based research educational opportunities previously out of the reach of most space-related budgets. This paper will describe the motivation, benefits, technical features, and program costs of the Final Analysis secondary payload program. Payloads can be

An index formula for the self-linking number of a space curve

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Røgen, Peter

2008-01-01

Given an embedded closed space curve with non-vanishing curvature, its self-linking number is defined as the linking number between the original curve and a curve pushed slightly off in the direction of its principal normals. We present an index formula for the self-linking number in terms of the...

Long term radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavie, J.M.

1984-01-01

In France, waste management, a sensitive issue in term of public opinion, is developing quickly, and due to twenty years of experience, is now reaching maturity. With the launching of the French nuclear programme, the use of radioactive sources in radiotherapy and industry, waste management has become an industrial activity. Waste management is an integrated system dealing with the wastes from their production to the long term disposal, including their identification, sortage, treatment, packaging, collection and transport. This system aims at guaranteing the protection of present and future populations with an available technology. In regard to their long term management, and the design of disposals, radioactive wastes are divided in three categories. This classification takes into account the different radioisotopes contained, their half life and their total activity. Presently short-lived wastes are stored in the shallowland disposal of the ''Centre de la Manche''. Set up within the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), the National Agency for waste management (ANDRA) is responsible within the framework of legislative and regulatory provisions for long term waste management in France [fr

Rocky Planet Formation: Quick and Neat

Science.gov (United States)

Kenyon, Scott J.; Najita, Joan R.; Bromley, Benjamin C.

2016-11-01

We reconsider the commonly held assumption that warm debris disks are tracers of terrestrial planet formation. The high occurrence rate inferred for Earth-mass planets around mature solar-type stars based on exoplanet surveys (˜20%) stands in stark contrast to the low incidence rate (≤2%-3%) of warm dusty debris around solar-type stars during the expected epoch of terrestrial planet assembly (˜10 Myr). If Earth-mass planets at au distances are a common outcome of the planet formation process, this discrepancy suggests that rocky planet formation occurs more quickly and/or is much neater than traditionally believed, leaving behind little in the way of a dust signature. Alternatively, the incidence rate of terrestrial planets has been overestimated, or some previously unrecognized physical mechanism removes warm dust efficiently from the terrestrial planet region. A promising removal mechanism is gas drag in a residual gaseous disk with a surface density ≳10-5 of the minimum-mass solar nebula.

Optimisation of the link volume for weakest link failure prediction in NBG-18 nuclear graphite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hindley, Michael P.; Groenwold, Albert A.; Blaine, Deborah C.; Becker, Thorsten H.

2014-01-01

This paper describes the process for approximating the optimal size of a link volume required for weakest link failure calculation in nuclear graphite, with NBG-18 used as an example. As part of the failure methodology, the link volume is defined in terms of two grouping criteria. The first criterion is a factor of the maximum grain size and the second criterion is a function of an equivalent stress limit. A methodology for approximating these grouping criteria is presented. The failure methodology employs finite element analysis (FEA) in order to predict the failure load, at 50% probability of failure. The average experimental failure load, as determined for 26 test geometries, is used to evaluate the accuracy of the weakest link failure calculations. The influence of the two grouping criteria on the failure load prediction is evaluated by defining an error in prediction across all test cases. Mathematical optimisation is used to find the minimum error across a range of test case failure predictions. This minimum error is shown to deliver the most accurate failure prediction across a whole range of components, although some test cases in the range predict conservative failure load. The mathematical optimisation objective function is penalised to account for non-conservative prediction of the failure load for any test case. The optimisation is repeated and a link volume found for conservative failure prediction. The failure prediction for each test case is evaluated, in detail, for the proposed link volumes. Based on the analysis, link design volumes for NBG-18 are recommended for either accurate or conservative failure prediction

Child CPR

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Home FIRST AID, CPR and AED LIFEGUARDING Refresher Child - CPR (1:11) QUICK LINKS Home RedCross.org Purchase Course Materials Shop Our Store Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions All rights reserved. 2011 American National Red Cross.

Lightweight link dimensioning using sFlow sampling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Oliviera Schmidt, Ricardo; Sadre, Ramin; Sperotto, Anna

2013-01-01

not be trivial in high-speed links. Aiming scalability, operators often deploy packet sampling on monitoring, but little is known how it affects link dimensioning. In this paper we assess the feasibility of lightweight link dimensioning using sFlow, which is a widely-deployed traffic monitoring tool. We...... implement sFlow sampling algorithm and use a previously proposed and validated dimensioning formula that needs traffic variance. We validate our approach using packet captures from real networks. Results show that the proposed procedure is successful for a range of sampling rates and that, due to randomness...... of sampling algorithm, the error introduced by scaling the traffic variance yields more conservative results that cope with short-term traffic fluctuations....

Guide to Preparing SAND Reports and other communication products : quick reference guide.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2009-10-01

This Quick Reference Guide supplements the more complete Guide to Preparing SAND Reports and Other Communication Products. It provides limited guidance on how to prepare SAND Reports at Sandia National Laboratories. Users are directed to the in-depth guide for explanations of processes.

The Effect of Air Preheat at Atmospheric Pressure on the Formation of NO(x) in the Quick-Mix Sections of an Axially Staged Combustor

Science.gov (United States)

Vardakas, M. A.; Leong, M. Y.; Brouwer, J.; Samuelsen, G. S.; Holdeman, J. D.

1999-01-01

The Rich-burn/Quick-mix/Lean-burn (RQL) combustor concept has been proposed to minimize the formation of nitrogen oxides (NO(x)) in gas turbine systems. The success of this combustor strategy is dependent upon the efficiency of the mixing section bridging the fuel-rich and fuel-lean stages. Note that although these results were obtained from an experiment designed to study an RQL mixer, the link between mixing and NOx signatures is considerably broader than this application, in that the need to understand this link exists in most advanced combustors. The experiment reported herein was designed to study the effects of inlet air temperature on NO(x) formation in a mixing section. The results indicate that NO(x) emission is increased for all preheated cases compared to non-preheated cases. When comparing the various mixing modules, the affect of jet penetration is important, as this determines where NO(x) concentrations peak, and affects overall NO(x) production. Although jet air comprises 70 percent of the total airflow, the impact that jet air preheat has on overall NO(x) emissions is small compared to preheating both main and jet air flow.

Performance Analysis of M-atmospheric FSO Links

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lopez-Gonzalez, Francisco J.; Garrido-Balsellss, José María; Jurado-Navas, Antonio

2016-01-01

In this paper, a generalization of the Málaga atmospheric optical communications links treated as a finite number of Generalized-K distributed sub-channels is analyzed in terms of the average bit error rate and outage probability....

Combined eating behaviors and overweight: Eating quickly, late evening meals, and skipping breakfast.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jung Su; Mishra, Gita; Hayashi, Kunihiko; Watanabe, Etsuko; Mori, Katsumi; Kawakubo, Kiyoshi

2016-04-01

Various eating behaviors have been linked with body weight management. However, combined effects of major eating behaviors are not fully understood. This study aimed to clarify the association of the combination of eating quickly (EQ), late evening meals (LEM), and skipping breakfast (SB) with being overweight. A cross-sectional study with standardized questions for EQ, LEM, and SB was conducted. Stratified random sampling of 5% of residents aged 20 to 80years was surveyed in a city in northeast Japan in 2011, and 4249 (84.9%) residents were analyzed. Association of combinations of eating behaviors on being overweight (BMI (kg/m(2)≥25.0)) was estimated by using logistic analysis, and odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidential interval were calculated after adjustment for potential covariates. LEM, SB, or a combination of LEM and SB was not significantly associated with being overweight. However, the combination of EQ or only EQ was significantly associated with being overweight. As the number of eating behavior practices increased, there was a linear increase in OR for being overweight. The OR of all three combined eating behaviors was higher than that of any combined two behaviors or of each behavior. This study result supports the evidence that EQ increases the risk of being overweight whether by itself or in combinations with LEM and/or SB. However, only LEM or only SB did not increase the risk of being overweight. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current sensorless quick charger for lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, K.M.; Chan, W.L.

2011-01-01

An efficient, simple and low cost quick charger based on the double-loop controller is proposed for the charging of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. With positive and negative feedback of the battery voltage, charging profile similar to the constant current and constant voltage (CC-CV) charging strategy can be performed without actually sensing the charging current. The charging time can easily be shortened by raising the level of saturation in the primary voltage control loop. Experimental results are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the battery charger. The charger could be a low cost and high performance replacement for existing Li-ion battery chargers.

Accuracy test for link prediction in terms of similarity index: The case of WS and BA models

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Min-Woo; Jung, Woo-Sung

2015-07-01

Link prediction is a technique that uses the topological information in a given network to infer the missing links in it. Since past research on link prediction has primarily focused on enhancing performance for given empirical systems, negligible attention has been devoted to link prediction with regard to network models. In this paper, we thus apply link prediction to two network models: The Watts-Strogatz (WS) model and Barabási-Albert (BA) model. We attempt to gain a better understanding of the relation between accuracy and each network parameter (mean degree, the number of nodes and the rewiring probability in the WS model) through network models. Six similarity indices are used, with precision and area under the ROC curve (AUC) value as the accuracy metrics. We observe a positive correlation between mean degree and accuracy, and size independence of the AUC value.

Narcissism and the Strategic Pursuit of Short-Term Mating: Universal Links across 11 World Regions of the International Sexuality Description Project-2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David P. Schmitt et al.

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have documented links between sub-clinical narcissism and the active pursuit of short-term mating strategies (e.g., unrestricted sociosexuality, marital infidelity, mate poaching. Nearly all of these investigations have relied solely on samples from Western cultures. In the current study, responses from a cross-cultural survey of 30,470 people across 53 nations spanning 11 world regions (North America, Central/South America, Northern Europe, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, Southeast Asia, and East Asia were used to evaluate whether narcissism (as measured by the Narcissistic Personality Inventory; NPI was universally associated with short-term mating. Results revealed narcissism scores (including two broad factors and seven traditional facets as measured by the NPI were functionally equivalent across cultures, reliably associating with key sexual outcomes (e.g., more active pursuit of short-term mating, intimate partner violence, and sexual aggression and sex-related personality traits (e.g., higher extraversion and openness to experience. Whereas some features of personality (e.g., subjective well-being were universally associated with socially adaptive facets of Narcissism (e.g., self-sufficiency, most indicators of short-term mating (e.g., unrestricted sociosexuality and marital infidelity were universally associated with the socially maladaptive facets of narcissism (e.g., exploitativeness. Discussion addresses limitations of these cross-culturally universal findings and presents suggestions for future research into revealing the precise psychological features of narcissism that facilitate the strategic pursuit of short-term mating.

Near Theoretical Gigabit Link Efficiency for Distributed Data Acquisition Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Abu-Nimeh, Faisal T; Choong, Woon-Seng

2017-03-01

Link efficiency, data integrity, and continuity for high-throughput and real-time systems is crucial. Most of these applications require specialized hardware and operating systems as well as extensive tuning in order to achieve high efficiency. Here, we present an implementation of gigabit Ethernet data streaming which can achieve 99.26% link efficiency while maintaining no packet losses. The design and implementation are built on OpenPET, an opensource data acquisition platform for nuclear medical imaging, where (a) a crate hosting multiple OpenPET detector boards uses a User Datagram Protocol over Internet Protocol (UDP/IP) Ethernet soft-core, that is capable of understanding PAUSE frames, to stream data out to a computer workstation; (b) the receiving computer uses Netmap to allow the processing software (i.e., user space), which is written in Python, to directly receive and manage the network card's ring buffers, bypassing the operating system kernel's networking stack; and (c) a multi-threaded application using synchronized queues is implemented in the processing software (Python) to free up the ring buffers as quickly as possible while preserving data integrity and flow continuity.

Link-state-estimation-based transmission power control in wireless body area networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Seungku; Eom, Doo-Seop

2014-07-01

This paper presents a novel transmission power control protocol to extend the lifetime of sensor nodes and to increase the link reliability in wireless body area networks (WBANs). We first experimentally investigate the properties of the link states using the received signal strength indicator (RSSI). We then propose a practical transmission power control protocol based on both short- and long-term link-state estimations. Both the short- and long-term link-state estimations enable the transceiver to adapt the transmission power level and target the RSSI threshold range, respectively, to simultaneously satisfy the requirements of energy efficiency and link reliability. Finally, the performance of the proposed protocol is experimentally evaluated in two experimental scenarios-body posture change and dynamic body motion-and compared with the typical WBAN transmission power control protocols, a real-time reactive scheme, and a dynamic postural position inference mechanism. From the experimental results, it is found that the proposed protocol increases the lifetime of the sensor nodes by a maximum of 9.86% and enhances the link reliability by reducing the packet loss by a maximum of 3.02%.

Why should we publish Linked Data?

Science.gov (United States)

Blower, Jon; Riechert, Maik; Koubarakis, Manolis; Pace, Nino

2016-04-01

We use the Web every day to access information from all kinds of different sources. But the complexity and diversity of scientific data mean that discovering accessing and interpreting data remains a large challenge to researchers, decision-makers and other users. Different sources of useful information on data, algorithms, instruments and publications are scattered around the Web. How can we link all these things together to help users to better understand and exploit earth science data? How can we combine scientific data with other relevant data sources, when standards for describing and sharing data vary so widely between communities? "Linked Data" is a term that describes a set of standards and "best practices" for sharing data on the Web (http://www.w3.org/standards/semanticweb/data). These principles can be summarised as follows: 1. Create unique and persistent identifiers for the important "things" in a community (e.g. datasets, publications, algorithms, instruments). 2. Allow users to "look up" these identifiers on the web to find out more information about them. 3. Make this information machine-readable in a community-neutral format (such as RDF, Resource Description Framework). 4. Within this information, embed links to other things and concepts and say how these are related. 5. Optionally, provide web service interfaces to allow the user to perform sophisticated queries over this information (using a language such as SPARQL). The promise of Linked Data is that, through these techniques, data will be more discoverable, more comprehensible and more usable by different communities, not just the community that produced the data. As a result, many data providers (particularly public-sector institutions) are now publishing data in this way. However, this area is still in its infancy in terms of real-world applications. Data users need guidance and tools to help them use Linked Data. Data providers need reassurance that the investments they are making in

[Differentiation of influenza (Flu) type A, type B, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) by QuickNavi™-Flu+RSV].

Science.gov (United States)

Kohiyama, Risa; Miyazawa, Takashi; Shibano, Nobuko; Inano, Koichi

2014-01-01

Because it is not easy to differentiate Influenza virus (Flu) from RS virus (RSV) just by clinical symptoms, to accurately diagnose those viruses in conjunction with patient's clinical symptoms, rapid diagnostic kits has been used separately for each of those viruses. In our new study, we have developed a new rapid diagnostic kit, QuickNavi™-Flu+RSV. The kit can detect Flu A, Flu B, and RSV antigens with a single sample collection and an assay. Total of 2,873 cases (including nasopharyngeal swabs and nasopharyngeal aspirates specimens) in 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 seasons were evaluated with QuickNavi™-Flu+RSV and a commercially available kit. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of Flu type A, type B, and RSV were above 95% when compared to commercially available kits (QuickNavi™-Flu and QuickNavi™-RSV) and considered to be equivalent to the commercially available kits. In 2011/2012 season, RSV infections increased prior to Flu season and continued during the peak of the Flu season. The kit can contribute to accurate diagnosis of Flu and RSV infections since co-infection cases have also been reported during the 2011/2012 season. QuickNavi™-Flu+RSV is useful for differential diagnosis of respiratory infectious diseases since it can detect Flu type A, type B, and RSV virus antigens with a single sample collection.

Quickly updatable hologram images with high performance photorefractive polymer composites

Science.gov (United States)

Tsutsumi, Naoto; Kinashi, Kenji; Nonomura, Asato; Sakai, Wataru

2012-02-01

We present here quickly updatable hologram images using high performance photorefractive (PR) polymer composite based on poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PVCz). PVCz is one of the pioneer materials for photoconductive polymer. PVCz/7- DCST/CzEPA/TNF (44/35/20/1 by wt) gives high diffraction efficiency of 68 % at E = 45 V/μm with fast response speed. Response speed of optical diffraction is the key parameter for real-time 3D holographic display. Key parameter for obtaining quickly updatable hologram images is to control the glass transition temperature lower enough to enhance chromophore orientation. Object image of the reflected coin surface recorded with reference beam at 532 nm (green beam) in the PR polymer composite is simultaneously reconstructed using a red probe beam at 642 nm. Instead of using coin object, object image produced by a computer was displayed on a spatial light modulator (SLM) is used as an object for hologram. Reflected object beam from a SLM interfered with reference beam on PR polymer composite to record a hologram and simultaneously reconstructed by a red probe beam. Movie produced in a computer was recorded as a realtime hologram in the PR polymer composite and simultaneously clearly reconstructed with a video rate.

Experience, limits of and prospects for quick local analysis of harmful organic substances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matz, G.

1993-01-01

In the area of cleaning up old loads, both in exploration and also for concrete measures such as removing layers or cleaning the soil, the three-dimensionality and non-homogeneousness of the distribution of the harmful substances underground leads to very large numbers of samples, which must be analysed to describe the problem. If the analyses can be carried out directly locally and quickly, then based on the analysis results, the effect on the sample grid and on the course of the work can be estimated. The exploration and cleaning up cases carried out with the quick GC-MS analysis have shown that local analysis, firstly, represents a reasonably priced alternative to conventional laboratory analysis and, secondly, has advantages which very greatly accelerate work on old loads. (orig.) [de

Using QR codes to enable quick access to information in acute cancer care.

Science.gov (United States)

Upton, Joanne; Olsson-Brown, Anna; Marshall, Ernie; Sacco, Joseph

2017-05-25

Quick access to toxicity management information ensures timely access to steroids/immunosuppressive treatment for cancer patients experiencing immune-related adverse events, thus reducing length of hospital stays or avoiding hospital admission entirely. This article discusses a project to add a QR (quick response) code to a patient-held immunotherapy alert card. As QR code generation is free and the immunotherapy clinical management algorithms were already publicly available through the trust's clinical network website, the costs of integrating a QR code into the alert card, after printing, were low, while the potential benefits are numerous. Patient-held alert cards are widely used for patients receiving anti-cancer treatment, and this established standard of care has been modified to enable rapid access of information through the incorporation of a QR code.

Guide to preparing SAND reports and other communication products : quick reference guide.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2007-03-01

This 'Quick Reference Guide' supplements the more complete 'Guide to Preparing SAND Reports and Other Communication Products'. It provides limited guidance on how to prepare SAND Reports at Sandia National Laboratories. Users are directed to the in-depth guide for explanations of processes.

Short-term depression and transient memory in sensory cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillary, Grant; Heydt, Rüdiger von der; Niebur, Ernst

2017-12-01

Persistent neuronal activity is usually studied in the context of short-term memory localized in central cortical areas. Recent studies show that early sensory areas also can have persistent representations of stimuli which emerge quickly (over tens of milliseconds) and decay slowly (over seconds). Traditional positive feedback models cannot explain sensory persistence for at least two reasons: (i) They show attractor dynamics, with transient perturbations resulting in a quasi-permanent change of system state, whereas sensory systems return to the original state after a transient. (ii) As we show, those positive feedback models which decay to baseline lose their persistence when their recurrent connections are subject to short-term depression, a common property of excitatory connections in early sensory areas. Dual time constant network behavior has also been implemented by nonlinear afferents producing a large transient input followed by much smaller steady state input. We show that such networks require unphysiologically large onset transients to produce the rise and decay observed in sensory areas. Our study explores how memory and persistence can be implemented in another model class, derivative feedback networks. We show that these networks can operate with two vastly different time courses, changing their state quickly when new information is coming in but retaining it for a long time, and that these capabilities are robust to short-term depression. Specifically, derivative feedback networks with short-term depression that acts differentially on positive and negative feedback projections are capable of dynamically changing their time constant, thus allowing fast onset and slow decay of responses without requiring unrealistically large input transients.

Sensitiveness of the Constant-Murley’s Shoulder and Quick DASH as an Outcome Measure for Midshaft Clavicle Fracture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R Magetsari

2010-03-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Quick DASH and Constant-Murley’s Shoulder are two valid measuring tools for health status and are useful for patients with a wide variety of upper-extremity complaints; it is sufficiently sensitive to reveal even small changes in function. Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity of Quick DASH and Constant-Murley’s Shoulder as an outcome measurement for midshaft clavicle fracture. METHOD: The study population consisted of 64 patients with a diagnosis of midshaft clavicle fracture based on clinical and radiological criteria. Study design was that of a classic prospective cohort study with measurements at 3 and 6 months following the injury. Evaluation was based on effect size (ES and standardized response means (SRM. RESULT: Both Quick DASH and Constant-Murley’s Shoulder showed high sensitivity (ES: 0.711; SRM: 1.46 and ES: 0.628; SRM: 1.45, respectively. CONCLUSION: Quick DASH was more sensitive than Constant-Murley’s Shoulder in detecting clinical changes on midshaft clavicle fractures at 3 and 6 month following treatment.

FPGA Based Test Module for Error Bit Evaluation in Serial Links

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Kolouch

2006-04-01

Full Text Available A test module for serial links is described. In the link transmitter, one module generates pseudorandom pulse signal that is transmitted by the link. Second module located in the link receiver generates the same signal and compares it to the received signal. Errors caused by the signal transmission can be then detected and results sent to a master computer for further processing like statistical evaluation. The module can be used for long-term error monitoring without need for human operator presence.

Science framework for conservation and restoration of the sagebrush biome: Linking the Department of the Interior’s Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy to long-term strategic conservation actions

Science.gov (United States)

J.C. Chambers; J.L. Beck; J.B. Bradford; J. Bybee; S. Campbell; J. Carlson; T.J. Christiansen; K.J. Clause; G. Collins; M.R. Crist; J.B. Dinkins; K.E. Doherty; F. Edwards; S. Espinosa; K.A. Griffin; P. Griffin; J.R. Haas; S.E. Hanser; D.W. Havlina; K.F. Henke; J.D. Hennig; L.A. Joyce; F.M. Kilkenny; S.M. Kulpa; L.L. Kurth; J.D. Maestas; M. Manning; K.E. Mayer; B.A. Mealor; C. McCarthy; M. Pellant; M.A. Perea; K.L. Prentice; D.A. Pyke; L.A. Wiechman; A. Wuenschel

2017-01-01

The Science Framework is intended to link the Department of the Interior’s Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy with long-term strategic conservation actions in the sagebrush biome. The Science Framework provides a multiscale approach for prioritizing areas for management and determining effective management strategies within the sagebrush biome. The emphasis...

EMUs for the Oeresund link; Elektrische Triebzuege fuer die Oeresundverbindung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bengtsson, J.E. [Bombardier Transportation GmbH, Vaesteraas (Sweden)

2001-07-01

Danish and Swedish Railways jointly purchased new EMUs type Contessa for the Oresund Link, starting operation in summer 2000. By high acceleration the three car electric multiple units reach a top speed of 180 km/h. Several EMUs can be coupled quickly to the Flexfrontsystem technology. Further special features are equipments for two different line voltages as well as for two signalling and automatic train control systems and a low floor part. (orig.) [German] Die daenische und die schwedische Eisenbahn haben gemeinsam fuer die Oresund-Verbindung neue dreiteilige Triebzuege Contessa beschafft und im Sommer 2000 in Betrieb genommen. Die elektrischen Triebzuege erreichen mit hoher Beschleunigung 180 km/h Hoechstgeschwindigkeit und koennen dank des Flexfrontsystems schnell zu mehreren gekuppelt werden. Weitere Merkmale sind die Ausruestungen fuer zwei Fahrleitungsspannungen, zwei Signal- und Zugbeeinflussungssysteme sowie ein Niederflurbereich. (orig.)

OntologyWidget – a reusable, embeddable widget for easily locating ontology terms

OpenAIRE

Beauheim, Catherine C; Wymore, Farrell; Nitzberg, Michael; Zachariah, Zachariah K; Jin, Heng; Skene, JH Pate; Ball, Catherine A; Sherlock, Gavin

2007-01-01

Abstract Background Biomedical ontologies are being widely used to annotate biological data in a computer-accessible, consistent and well-defined manner. However, due to their size and complexity, annotating data with appropriate terms from an ontology is often challenging for experts and non-experts alike, because there exist few tools that allow one to quickly find relevant ontology terms to easily populate a web form. Results We have produced a tool, OntologyWidget, which allows users to r...

Metropolitan food supply : case study Cairo : a quick scan study to enhance fresh food supply and minimize postharvest losses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broek, van den W.H.A.M.; Boerrigter, H.A.M.

2014-01-01

To investigate options for “Metropolitan food production systems” in Egypt and specifically in the Cairo region, a ‘cold chain quick scan’ is conducted by Wageningen UR post-harvest specialists. The study comprehends a quick scan for market demand, market willingness and a search for trend

Generation and importance of linked and irreducible moment diagrams in the recursive residue generation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schek, I.; Wyatt, R.E.

1986-01-01

Molecular multiphoton processes are treated in the Recursive Residue Generation Method (A. Nauts and R.E. Wyatt, Phys. Rev. Lett 51, 2238 (1983)) by converting the molecular-field Hamiltonian matrix into tridiagonal form, using the Lanczos equations. In this study, the self-energies (diagonal) and linking (off-diagaonal) terms in the tridiagonal matrix are obtained by comparing linked moment diagrams in both representations. The dynamics of the source state is introduced and computed in terms of the linked and the irreducible moments

A Software Engineering Paradigm for Quick-turnaround Earth Science Data Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, K.

2016-12-01

As is generally the case with applied sciences professional and educational programs, the participants of such programs can come from a variety of technical backgrounds. In the NASA DEVELOP National Program, the participants constitute an interdisciplinary set of backgrounds, with varying levels of experience with computer programming. DEVELOP makes use of geographically explicit data sets, and it is necessary to use geographic information systems and geospatial image processing environments. As data sets cover longer time spans and include more complex sets of parameters, automation is becoming an increasingly prevalent feature. Though platforms such as ArcGIS, ERDAS Imagine, and ENVI facilitate the batch-processing of geospatial imagery, these environments are naturally constricting to the user in that they limit him or her to the tools that are available. Users must then turn to "homemade" scripting in more traditional programming languages such as Python, JavaScript, or R, to automate workflows. However, in the context of quick-turnaround projects like those in DEVELOP, the programming learning curve may be prohibitively steep. In this work, we consider how to best design a software development paradigm that addresses two major constants: an arbitrarily experienced programmer and quick-turnaround project timelines.

Quick titration of pergolide in cotreatment with domperidone is safe and effective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, PAF; Herings, RMC; Samson, MM; Schuurmans-Daemen, LMPJ; Hovestadt, A; Verhaar, HJJ; Van Laar, T; de Vreede, P.

2001-01-01

The purpose of the study was to analyze efficacy and safety of quick pergolide titration combined with domperidone. In an open-label prospective study, pergolide was titrated in 16 days to a maximum of 3 mg/d doses as adjunctive treatment to L-Dopa in 10 elderly patients with Parkinson's disease.

A short-term study of corneal collagen cross-linking with hypo-osmolar riboflavin solution in keratoconic corneas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shao-Feng Gu

2015-02-01

Full Text Available AIM: To report the 3mo outcomes of collagen cross-linking (CXL with a hypo-osmolar riboflavin in thin corneas with the thinnest thickness less than 400 μm without epithelium. METHODS: Eight eyes in 6 patients with age 26.2±4.8y were included in the study. All patients underwent CXL using a hypo-osmolar riboflavin solution after its de-epithelization. Best corrected visual acuity, manifest refraction, the thinnest corneal thickness, and endothelial cell density were evaluated before and 3mo after the procedure. RESULTS: The mean thinnest thickness of the cornea was 408.5±29.0 μm before treatment and reduced to 369.8±24.8 μm after the removal of epithelium. With the application of the hypo-osmolar riboflavin solution, the thickness increased to 445.0±26.5 μm before CXL and recover to 412.5±22.7 μm at 3mo after treatment, P=0.659. Before surgery, the mean K-value of the apex of the keratoconus corneas was 57.6±4.0 diopters, and slightly decreased (54.7±4.9 diopters after surgery (P=0.085. Mean best-corrected visual acuity was 0.55±0.23 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution, and increased to 0.53±0.26 logarithm after surgery (P=0.879. The endothelial cell density was 2706.4±201.6 cells/mm2 before treatment, and slightly decreased (2641.2±218.2 cells/mm2 at last fellow up (P=0.002. CONCLUSION: Corneal collagen cross-linking with a hypo-osmolar riboflavin in thin corneas seems to be a promising treatment. Further study should be done to evaluate the safety and efficiency of CXL in thin corneas for the long-term.

A novel multilayer model for missing link prediction and future link forecasting in dynamic complex networks

Science.gov (United States)

Yasami, Yasser; Safaei, Farshad

2018-02-01

The traditional complex network theory is particularly focused on network models in which all network constituents are dealt with equivalently, while fail to consider the supplementary information related to the dynamic properties of the network interactions. This is a main constraint leading to incorrect descriptions of some real-world phenomena or incomplete capturing the details of certain real-life problems. To cope with the problem, this paper addresses the multilayer aspects of dynamic complex networks by analyzing the properties of intrinsically multilayered co-authorship networks, DBLP and Astro Physics, and presenting a novel multilayer model of dynamic complex networks. The model examines the layers evolution (layers birth/death process and lifetime) throughout the network evolution. Particularly, this paper models the evolution of each node's membership in different layers by an Infinite Factorial Hidden Markov Model considering feature cascade, and thereby formulates the link generation process for intra-layer and inter-layer links. Although adjacency matrixes are useful to describe the traditional single-layer networks, such a representation is not sufficient to describe and analyze the multilayer dynamic networks. This paper also extends a generalized mathematical infrastructure to address the problems issued by multilayer complex networks. The model inference is performed using some Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling strategies, given synthetic and real complex networks data. Experimental results indicate a tremendous improvement in the performance of the proposed multilayer model in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, positive and negative likelihood ratios, F1-score, Matthews correlation coefficient, and accuracy for two important applications of missing link prediction and future link forecasting. The experimental results also indicate the strong predictivepower of the proposed model for the application of

CPR: Infant

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... LIFEGUARDING Refresher Putting It All Together: CPR—Infant (1:52) Refresher videos only utilize this player QUICK LINKS Home RedCross.org Purchase Course Materials Shop Our Store Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions All rights reserved. 2011 American National Red Cross.

QuickPALM: 3D real-time photoactivation nanoscopy image processing in ImageJ

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Henriques, R

2010-05-01

Full Text Available QuickPALM in conjunction with the acquisition of control features provides a complete solution for the acquisition, reconstruction and visualization of 3D PALM or STORM images, achieving resolutions of ~40 nm in real time. This software package...

Security printing of covert quick response codes using upconverting nanoparticle inks

Science.gov (United States)

Meruga, Jeevan M.; Cross, William M.; May, P. Stanley; Luu, QuocAnh; Crawford, Grant A.; Kellar, Jon J.

2012-10-01

Counterfeiting costs governments and private industries billions of dollars annually due to loss of value in currency and other printed items. This research involves using lanthanide doped β-NaYF4 nanoparticles for security printing applications. Inks comprised of Yb3+/Er3+ and Yb3+/Tm3+ doped β-NaYF4 nanoparticles with oleic acid as the capping agent in toluene and methyl benzoate with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as the binding agent were used to print quick response (QR) codes. The QR codes were made using an AutoCAD file and printed with Optomec direct-write aerosol jetting®. The printed QR codes are invisible under ambient lighting conditions, but are readable using a near-IR laser, and were successfully scanned using a smart phone. This research demonstrates that QR codes, which have been used primarily for information sharing applications, can also be used for security purposes. Higher levels of security were achieved by printing both green and blue upconverting inks, based on combinations of Er3+/Yb3+ and Tm3+/Yb3+, respectively, in a single QR code. The near-infrared (NIR)-to-visible upconversion luminescence properties of the two-ink QR codes were analyzed, including the influence of NIR excitation power density on perceived color, in term of the CIE 1931 chromaticity index. It was also shown that this security ink can be optimized for line width, thickness and stability on different substrates.

Security printing of covert quick response codes using upconverting nanoparticle inks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meruga, Jeevan M; Cross, William M; Crawford, Grant A; Kellar, Jon J; Stanley May, P; Luu, QuocAnh

2012-01-01

Counterfeiting costs governments and private industries billions of dollars annually due to loss of value in currency and other printed items. This research involves using lanthanide doped β-NaYF 4 nanoparticles for security printing applications. Inks comprised of Yb 3+ /Er 3+ and Yb 3+ /Tm 3+ doped β-NaYF 4 nanoparticles with oleic acid as the capping agent in toluene and methyl benzoate with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as the binding agent were used to print quick response (QR) codes. The QR codes were made using an AutoCAD file and printed with Optomec direct-write aerosol jetting ® . The printed QR codes are invisible under ambient lighting conditions, but are readable using a near-IR laser, and were successfully scanned using a smart phone. This research demonstrates that QR codes, which have been used primarily for information sharing applications, can also be used for security purposes. Higher levels of security were achieved by printing both green and blue upconverting inks, based on combinations of Er 3+ /Yb 3+ and Tm 3+ /Yb 3+ , respectively, in a single QR code. The near-infrared (NIR)-to-visible upconversion luminescence properties of the two-ink QR codes were analyzed, including the influence of NIR excitation power density on perceived color, in term of the CIE 1931 chromaticity index. It was also shown that this security ink can be optimized for line width, thickness and stability on different substrates. (paper)

Sex-Linked Behavior: Evolution, Stability, and Variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Fine, Cordelia; Dupré, John; Joel, Daphna

2017-09-01

Common understanding of human sex-linked behaviors is that proximal mechanisms of genetic and hormonal sex, ultimately shaped by the differential reproductive challenges of ancestral males and females, act on the brain to transfer sex-linked predispositions across generations. Here, we extend the debate on the role of nature and nurture in the development of traits in the lifetime of an individual, to their role in the cross-generation transfer of traits. Advances in evolutionary theory that posit the environment as a source of trans-generational stability, and new understanding of sex effects on the brain, suggest that the cross-generation stability of sex-linked patterns of behavior are sometimes better explained in terms of inherited socioenvironmental conditions, with biological sex fostering intrageneration variability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detecting Cancer Quickly and Accurately

Science.gov (United States)

Gourley, Paul; McDonald, Anthony; Hendricks, Judy; Copeland, Guild; Hunter, John; Akhil, Ohmar; Capps, Heather; Curry, Marc; Skirboll, Steve

2000-03-01

We present a new technique for high throughput screening of tumor cells in a sensitive nanodevice that has the potential to quickly identify a cell population that has begun the rapid protein synthesis and mitosis characteristic of cancer cell proliferation. Currently, pathologists rely on microscopic examination of cell morphology using century-old staining methods that are labor-intensive, time-consuming and frequently in error. New micro-analytical methods for automated, real time screening without chemical modification are critically needed to advance pathology and improve diagnoses. We have teamed scientists with physicians to create a microlaser biochip (based upon our R&D award winning bio-laser concept)1 which evaluates tumor cells by quantifying their growth kinetics. The key new discovery was demonstrating that the lasing spectra are sensitive to the biomolecular mass in the cell, which changes the speed of light in the laser microcavity. Initial results with normal and cancerous human brain cells show that only a few hundred cells -- the equivalent of a billionth of a liter -- are required to detect abnormal growth. The ability to detect cancer in such a minute tissue sample is crucial for resecting a tumor margin or grading highly localized tumor malignancy. 1. P. L. Gourley, NanoLasers, Scientific American, March 1998, pp. 56-61. This work supported under DOE contract DE-AC04-94AL85000 and the Office of Basic Energy Sciences.

Cellular Links between Neuronal Activity and Energy Homeostasis

OpenAIRE

Shetty, Pavan K.; Galeffi, Francesca; Turner, Dennis A.

2012-01-01

Neuronal activity, astrocytic responses to this activity, and energy homeostasis are linked together during baseline, conscious conditions, and short-term rapid activation (as occurs with sensory or motor function). Nervous system energy homeostasis also varies during long-term physiological conditions (i.e., development and aging) and with adaptation to pathological conditions, such as ischemia or low glucose. Neuronal activation requires increased metabolism (i.e., ATP generation) which lea...

Quick-Reaction Report on the Audit of ReCoupment Actions on Medicine Payments to Uniformed Services Treatment Facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

1993-07-21

OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL QUICK-REACTION REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF RECOUPMENT ACTIONS ON MEDICARE PAYMENTS TO UNIFORMED SERVICES TREATMENT...Quick-Reaction Report on the Audit of Recoupment Actions on Medicare Payments to Uniformed Services Treatment Facilities (Report No. 93-150) We are...Inspectors General will provide a joint report to the congressional committees that requested the audit . The courtesies extended to the audit staff

Relevance of financial information in quick loans negotiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvador Cruz Rambaud

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, most loan transactions are contracted by using the exponential discounting as the underlying standard economic model to value this type of financial operations. In a framework of absence of fees to be paid by the borrower, the interest rate of the exponential discount function is, moreover, the true interest rate of the operation. Nevertheless, there exist a set of circumstances which make this identity false. Among others, these characteristics are: the use of linear discount as the underlying discount function, splitting time when using a nominal interest rate, and the existence of fees in a loan at 0% interest rate. All these cases will be analyzed in this paper in the context of the so-called quick loans.

Quick discharge circuit for pacer nuclear power supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, C.Y.

1975-01-01

A quick discharge circuit for a pacer's nuclear power supply is described. A pacer capable of implantation within the body of a patient and capable of being powered by at least one nuclear battery is disclosed. Voltage from a single nuclear battery is increased by a factor of about 25 to 30 in order to provide a voltage level adequate to power pacer circuitry. A restartable DC--DC converter is used for this purpose. But if the converter malfunctions the load voltage must be reduced below a certain level for the converter to be automatically restarted. The present invention relates to means for reducing the time from converter malfunction to resumption of converter operation in order to reduce the corresponding inoperative pacer time period. (U.S.)

Characterization of vibratory turning in cutting zone using a pneumatic quick-stop device

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saeid Amini

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Shear angle and sticking length are two crucial parameters in mechanics of metal cutting. These two parameters directly influence machinability factors such as cutting forces. Thus, shear angle and sticking length were investigated in vibratory turning process by using a pneumatic quick-stop device which was designed and fabricated, in this study. After preparation of ultrasonic assisted turning set-up, experimental tests have been carried out on two types of steel: AISI-1060 and AISI 304. Accordingly, the process of chip formation in each particular cutting test was quickly stopped when deformed chip was still in contact with workpiece. As a result, it was revealed that added linear vibration leads the turning operation to be improved by increase of shear angle and decrease of sticking length. Moreover, the effect of ultrasonic vibration on cutting force and chip micro-hardness is evaluated.

Valuation of index-linked cash flows in a Heath-Jarrow-Morton framework

OpenAIRE

Alm, Jonas; Lindskog, Filip

2015-01-01

In this paper, we study the valuation of stochastic cash flows that exhibit dependence on interest rates. We focus on insurance liability cash flows linked to an index, such as a consumer price index or wage index, where changes in the index value can be partially understood in terms of changes in the term structure of interest rates. Insurance liability cash flows that are not explicitly linked to an index may still be valued in our framework by interpreting index returns as so-called claims...

Impact on local air quality of the planned fixed link across Oresund

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fenger, Jes; Vignati, Elisabetta; Berkowicz, Ruwim

1996-01-01

The planned combined bridge and tunnel link between Sweden and Denmark (the Oresund Link) is expected to be in operation around the turn of the century. So far the impacts of the Oresund Link on air pollution have been discussed mainly in terms of changes in emissions, taking into account...... implications of the link on traffic in the region. It appears that the influence on regional and global air pollution will be marginal. Concerning local effects however, the situation is different; the new link across the Oresund and the island Amager will result in significant changes in traffic pattern...

Using Linked Data in Learning Analytics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

d'Aquin, Mathieu; Dietze, Stefan; Herder, Eelco; Drachsler, Hendrik; Taibi, David

2014-01-01

Learning Analytics has a lot to do with data, and the way to make sense of raw data in terms of the learner’s experience, behaviour and knowledge. In this article, we argue about the need for a closer relationship between the field of Learning Analytics and the one of Linked Data, which in our view

Human anti-HIV IgM detection by the OraQuick ADVANCE® Rapid HIV 1/2 Antibody Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Guillon, Geraldine; Yearwood, Graham; Snipes, Casey; Boschi, Daniel; Reed, Michael R

2018-01-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and many public health jurisdictions continue to advocate for the most sensitive rapid HIV test that is available. Currently, the recommendation is to utilize tests that can detect HIV infection biomarkers within 30 days of infection, when initial immune responses are mounted. The infected patient's IgM response is often used to detect acute infection within a 20-25 days window after infection. This requirement applies to lab-based testing with automated analyzers and rapid, point of care (POC) testing used for screening in a non-clinical setting. A recent study has demonstrated that POC tests using a Protein A-based detection system can detect samples with predominantly HIV-1 IgM reactivity (Moshgabadi et al., 2015). The OraQuick ADVANCE ® Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test (OraQuick ADVANCE ®) also uses Protein A as the detection protein in the antibody-binding colloidal gold conjugate, so it is expected that the OraQuick ADVANCE ® Test will also detect samples with predominantly IgM reactivity. This report definitively demonstrates that the OraQuick ADVANCE ® Test can detect IgM antibodies during an acute infection window period of approximately 20-25 days after infection, and is therefore suitable for use in testing environments requiring adherence to current CDC recommendations.

Linking geometry and algebra in the school mathematics curriculum

OpenAIRE

Jones, Keith

2010-01-01

This chapter focuses on the linking of geometry and algebra in the teaching and learning of mathematics - and how, through such linking, the mathematics curriculum might be strengthened. Through reviewing the case of the school mathematics curriculum in England, together with examples of how the power of geometry can bring contemporary mathematics to life in the classroom, the chapter argues for greater concinnity in the mathematics curriculum, especially in terms of the harmonious/purposeful...

RIA Quick, AUSRIA II-125, AUSAB. Comparative study on isolated and simultaneous radioimmunoassay of hepatitis B surface antigen and antibodies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kselikova, M; Urbankova, J [Institut fuer Haematologie und Bluttransfusion, Prag (Czechoslovakia)

1983-01-01

The surface antigen of hepatitis B (HBsAg) and the antibodies against HBsAg can be determined separately by the radioimmunoassay (RIA) test kits AUSRIA II-125 and AUSAB, respectively. Using the test kit RIA Quick (IMMUNO, Wien) it is possible to perform both the determinations in one preparation simultaneously. The sensitivity of RIA Quick for HBsAg corresponds to that of AUSRIA II-125 and for HBsAB it is considerably lower than that of AUSAB. RIA Quick is of excellent technical design and is by a quarter cheaper than the kits for isolated determination of HBsAg and HBsAb.

Long-term healing of mildly cross-linked decellularized bovine pericardial aortic patch.

Science.gov (United States)

Umashankar, P R; Sabareeswaran, A; Shenoy, Sachin J

2017-10-01

Glutaraldehyde treated bovine pericardium is extensively used in cardiovascular surgery. However, frequent occurrence of failure modes, such as calcification and structural failure, has hard pressed the need for finding an alternate technology. Decellularized bovine pericardium is an emerging technology. Mildly cross-linked decellularized bovine pericardium promotes positive remodeling with insignificant calcification and acute inflammation. In the present study, mildly cross-linked decellularized bovine pericardium was evaluated as a cardiovascular patch by studying mechanical strength as well as graft remodeling, resistance to calcific degeneration and inflammatory response using long duration porcine aortic implantation. It was observed that decellularized bovine pericardium, although thinner and less elastic had equivalent tensile properties such as tensile strength and stiffness when compared to commercially available glutaraldehyde-treated bovine pericardium. It showed the potential for site appropriate remodeling evidenced by host cell incorporation, thinner neointima, graft degradation, and neocollagenisation making it suitable for vascular patch application, whereas glutaraldehyde-treated pericardium failed to integrate with host tissue through timely degradation and host cell incorporation or neocollagenization. Conversely, it elicited persistent acute inflammation and produced calcification. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 2145-2152, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Interventional radiology in the provision and maintenance of long-term central venous access

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyon, S.M.; Given, M.; Marshall, N.L.

2008-01-01

Establishing and maintaining venous access forms an increasing proportion of the workload in interventional radiology. Several patient groups require medium-term to long-term venous catheters for a variety of purposes, including chemotherapy, long-term antimicrobials, parenteral nutrition, short-term access for haemodialysis or exhausted haemodialysis. Often, these catheters are required for treatment and frequent blood testing, which can quickly exhaust the peripheral veins. Venous access devices include implantable catheters (ports), tunnelled catheters and peripherally inserted central catheters, which have different functions, advantages and limitations. Imaging-guided placement is the preferred method of insertion in many institutions because of higher success rates and radiologists are well suited to address catheter complications.

Biological factors of natural and artificial ecosystems stable (unstable) functioning

Science.gov (United States)

Pechurkin, Nikolai S.

The problem of sustainable development of humanity on Earth and the problem of supporting human life in space have the same scientific and methodological bases. The key to solve both problems is a long term maintenance of balanced material cycle. As a whole, natural or artificial ecosystems are to be more closed than open, but their elements (links of systems) are to be substantially open in interactions with each other. Prolonged stable interactions of different links have to have unique joint results - closed material cycling or biotic turnover. It is necessary to include, at least, three types of main links into any system to support real material cycling: producers, consumers, reducers. Producer links are now under studies in many laboratories. It is evident that the higher productivity of link, the lower link stability. Especially, it concerns with parasite impact to plants. As usual, artificial ecosystems are more simple (incomplete) than natural ecosystems, sometimes, they have not enough links for prolonged stable functioning. For example, life support system for space flight can be incomplete in consumer link, having only some crew persons, instead of interacting populations of consumers. As for reducer link, it is necessary to "organize" a special coordinated work of microbial biocenoses to fulfill proper cycling. Possible evolution of links, their self development is a matter of special attention for the maintenance of prolonged stable functioning. It's the most danger for systems with populations of quickly reproducing, so-called, R - strategists, according to symbols of logistic equation. From another side, quick reproduction of R - strategists is able to increase artificial ecosystems and their links functioning. After some damages of system, R - strategist's link can be quickly "self repaired" up to level of normal functioning. Some experimental data of this kind and mathematical models are to be discussed in the paper. This work is supported by

Long-term results of cornea collagen cross-linking with riboflavin for keratoconus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinay Agrawal

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Corneal collagen cross-linking with riboflavin and UVA light (CXL is the only method designed to arrest the progression of keratoconus. Visual improvement generally starts 3 months after treatment. Reduction is coma seen on aberrometry in early postoperative phase is also responsible for the improvement in visual acuity. In the light of currently available data we can thus say that CXL is a safe procedure that is successful in arresting keratoconus.

Big Five Traits Related to Short-Term Mating: From Personality to Promiscuity across 46 Nations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David P. Schmitt

2008-04-01

Full Text Available As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, 13,243 participants from 46 nations responded to self-report measures of personality and mating behavior. Several traits showed consistent links with short-term mating. Extraversion positively correlated with interest in short-term mating, unrestricted sociosexuality, having engaged in short-term mate poaching attempts, having succumbed to short-term poaching attempts of others, and lacking relationship exclusivity. Low levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness also related to short-term mating, especially with extra-pair mating. Neuroticism and openness were associated with short-term mating as well, but these links were less consistent across sex and nation. Nation-level links between personality and sexuality replicated within-region findings, such as the strong association between national extraversion and national sociosexuality. Discussion focuses on the origins of personality-sexuality links and their implications across nations.

A cosmic ray-climate link and cloud observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dunne Eimear M.

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Despite over 35 years of constant satellite-based measurements of cloud, reliable evidence of a long-hypothesized link between changes in solar activity and Earth’s cloud cover remains elusive. This work examines evidence of a cosmic ray cloud link from a range of sources, including satellite-based cloud measurements and long-term ground-based climatological measurements. The satellite-based studies can be divided into two categories: (1 monthly to decadal timescale analysis and (2 daily timescale epoch-superpositional (composite analysis. The latter analyses frequently focus on sudden high-magnitude reductions in the cosmic ray flux known as Forbush decrease events. At present, two long-term independent global satellite cloud datasets are available (ISCCP and MODIS. Although the differences between them are considerable, neither shows evidence of a solar-cloud link at either long or short timescales. Furthermore, reports of observed correlations between solar activity and cloud over the 1983–1995 period are attributed to the chance agreement between solar changes and artificially induced cloud trends. It is possible that the satellite cloud datasets and analysis methods may simply be too insensitive to detect a small solar signal. Evidence from ground-based studies suggests that some weak but statistically significant cosmic ray-cloud relationships may exist at regional scales, involving mechanisms related to the global electric circuit. However, a poor understanding of these mechanisms and their effects on cloud makes the net impacts of such links uncertain. Regardless of this, it is clear that there is no robust evidence of a widespread link between the cosmic ray flux and clouds.

Novel fat-link fermion actions for lattice QCD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zanotti, J.; Bilson-Thompson, S.; Bonnet, F.; Leinweber, D.; Melnitchouk, W.; Williams, A.

2000-01-01

Full text: We are currently exploring new ideas for lattice fermion actions. Naive implementations of fermion actions encounter the well known fermion-doubling problem. In order to solve this problem, Wilson introduced an irrelevant (energy) dimension-five operator (the so-called Wilson term) which explicitly breaks chiral symmetry. The scaling properties of this Wilson action can be improved by introducing any number of irrelevant operators of increasing dimension which also vanish in the continuum limit. In this manner, one can improve fermion actions at finite 'a' by combining operators to eliminate O(a) and perhaps O(a 2 ) errors etc. A popular formulation of a lattice fermion action that achieves this is the Clover action which removes the O(a) error introduced by the Wilson term by introducing an additional irrelevant dimension-five operator. The Clover action can be O(a) improved to all orders in the strong coupling 'g'. While the Clover action displays excellent scaling, it is responsible for revealing the exceptional configuration problem where the quark propagator encounters singular behaviour particularly as the quark mass becomes small. Moreover, its free dispersion relation between energy and momentum is unchanged from the standard Wilson action dispersion and shows a continuum like behaviour only for relatively small momenta [F. X. Lee and D. B. Leinweber, Phys. Rev. D59, 074504 (1999), hep-lat/9711044]. Finally, significant chiral symmetry breaking is apparent as the renormalised quark mass differs significantly from the bare mass of the theory. Hence we propose a different approach to fermion action improvement. One in which the additive renormalisations become small while expressing good chiral behaviour. This can be achieved through the consideration of 'fat-link' fermion actions [T. DeGrand (the MILC collaboration, Phys. Rev. D60, 094501 (1999)]. Fat links are created by averaging or smearing links on the lattice with their nearest neighbours in

Designing an energy-efficient quick service restaurant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Young, R.; Spata, A.J.; Turnbull, P.; Allen, T.E.

1999-07-01

Food service operators typically focus on controlling labor and food costs in order to increase profits. Energy, which typically represents 2% to 6% of the total cost to operate, is often a lower priority due to the complexity of food service operations and the lack of practical information. However, in an increasing competitive market, operators are actively seeking opportunities to further reduce overhead, and energy represents a good candidate. This paper presents an overview of the design and application of energy-efficient technologies to a quick service restaurant (QSR) and the resulting energy savings. Included in the discussion are the relevance of energy efficiency in a QSR, the criteria for choosing appropriate energy-efficient technologies, the replication of results to other restaurants, and the performance of the individual energy-saving technologies. Three different techniques were used to estimate energy savings of the energy-efficient technologies, with results in the range of 12% to 18% savings in overall annual restaurant energy costs.

Energy modeling issues in quick service restaurants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, V.A.; Johnson, K.F.

1997-03-01

The complexity of monitoring and modeling the energy performance of food-service facilities was discussed. Usually, less than one third of the energy consumed in a commercial food-service facility is used by equipment and systems typically modeled in building simulation software such as DOE-2. Algorithms have not yet been developed to handle independent makeup air units and the kitchen and dining room HVAC systems. The energy used by food process equipment and water heating is based on customer-volume and operation-hours. Monitoring projects have been undertaken to provide detailed energy use profiles of individual appliances and whole restaurants. Some technical issues that are unique to food-service modeling in current versions of DOE-2.1E software in the context of quick service restaurants, such as difficulties in modelling internal heat gains of hooded cooking appliances and walk-in refrigeration, and system and zone limitations on tracking energy consumption, were discussed. 1 fig.

The feasibility of direct processing of sugar beets in Slovenia: a quick scan

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jongeneel, R.A.; Smit, A.L.; Bakker, Tom; Jager, J.H.

2015-01-01

This study presents a quick scan of the economic feasibility of direct processing of sugar beet for ethanol production in Slovenia, using the Betaprocess technology. The outcome is that given the prices for sugar, sugar beets, ethanol and other relevant arable crops that are expected to prevail

The extent of knowledge of Quick Response Manufacturing principles : an exploratory transnational study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Godinho Filho, Moacir; Marchesini, Antonio Gilberto; Riezebos, Jan; Vandaele, Nico; Devos Ganga, Gilberto Miller

2017-01-01

The main goal of this research is to identify whether companies that have implemented the Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) approach have full knowledge of the QRM principles or have merely applied the elements ( principles and tools) that have a close relationship with Lean Manufacturing. Based on

Relativistic helicity and link in Minkowski space-time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Z.; Kawazura, Y.; Yokoyama, T.

2014-01-01

A relativistic helicity has been formulated in the four-dimensional Minkowski space-time. Whereas the relativistic distortion of space-time violates the conservation of the conventional helicity, the newly defined relativistic helicity conserves in a barotropic fluid or plasma, dictating a fundamental topological constraint. The relation between the helicity and the vortex-line topology has been delineated by analyzing the linking number of vortex filaments which are singular differential forms representing the pure states of Banach algebra. While the dimension of space-time is four, vortex filaments link, because vorticities are primarily 2-forms and the corresponding 2-chains link in four dimension; the relativistic helicity measures the linking number of vortex filaments that are proper-time cross-sections of the vorticity 2-chains. A thermodynamic force yields an additional term in the vorticity, by which the vortex filaments on a reference-time plane are no longer pure states. However, the vortex filaments on a proper-time plane remain to be pure states, if the thermodynamic force is exact (barotropic), thus, the linking number of vortex filaments conserves

A quick method for estimation of long-lived alpha activity in work atmospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srivastava, G.K.; Ramakrishna Rao, A.; Balbudhe, A.Y.; Sarma, P.S.

2003-01-01

In an operating plant quick reporting of the status of long-lived alpha activity concentrations in the work atmosphere is required. This will help in taking any corrective control measures if required. Radon and thoron progeny concentrations prevalent in the general atmosphere predominantly interfere in measurement of long-lived alpha activity in air. The alpha counts due to radon and thoron progeny vary widely in many atmospheric conditions. Therefore, conventionally, 5 days delay is allowed for all interfering activity to decay completely and true alpha air activity is then estimated. An approach for quick assessment of long-lived alpha activity by eliminating interference due to radon and thoron progeny in air, is made here. Based on the study of the pattern of alpha count rate due to radon and thoron progeny in air, a method for estimation of long-lived alpha activity within 8 hours delay time is suggested in this paper. (author)

On the estimation of the volatility-growth link

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Launov, Andrey; Posch, Olaf; Wälde, Klaus

It is common practice to estimate the volatility-growth link by specifying a standard growth equation such that the variance of the error term appears as an explanatory variable in this growth equation. The variance in turn is modelled by a second equation. Hardly any of existing applications...... of this framework includes exogenous controls in this second variance equation. Our theoretical …ndings suggest that the absence of relevant explanatory variables in the variance equation leads to a biased and inconsistent estimate of the volatility-growth link. Our simulations show that this effect is large. Once...... the appropriate controls are included in the variance equation consistency is restored. In short, we suggest that the variance equation must include relevant control variables to estimate the volatility-growth link....

Epigenetics as a mechanism linking developmental exposures to long-term toxicity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barouki, R; Melén, E; Herceg, Z

2018-01-01

A variety of experimental and epidemiological studies lend support to the Developmental Origin of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept. Yet, the actual mechanisms accounting for mid- and long-term effects of early-life exposures remain unclear. Epigenetic alterations such as changes in DNA methylat......A variety of experimental and epidemiological studies lend support to the Developmental Origin of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept. Yet, the actual mechanisms accounting for mid- and long-term effects of early-life exposures remain unclear. Epigenetic alterations such as changes in DNA...

Winning quick and dirty: the greedy random walk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ben-Naim, E; Redner, S

2004-01-01

As a strategy to complete games quickly, we investigate one-dimensional random walks where the step length increases deterministically upon each return to the origin. When the step length after the kth return equals k, the displacement of the walk x grows linearly in time. Asymptotically, the probability distribution of displacements is a purely exponentially decaying function of |x|/t. The probability E(t, L) for the walk to escape a bounded domain of size L at time t decays algebraically in the long-time limit, E(t, L) ∼ L/t 2 . Consequently, the mean escape time (t) ∼ Lln L, while (t n ) ∼ L 2n-1 for n > 1. Corresponding results are derived when the step length after the kth return scales as k α for α > 0

A quick guide to wind power forecating : state-of-the-art 2009.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monteiro, C.; Keko, H.; Bessa, R.; Miranda, V.; Botterud, A.; Wang, J.; Conzelmann, G.; Decision and Information Sciences; INESC Porto

2009-11-20

This document contains a summary of the main findings from our full report entitled 'Wind Power Forecasting: State-of-the-Art 2009'. The aims of this document are to provide guidelines and a quick overview of the current state-of-the-art in wind power forecasting (WPF) and to point out lines of research in the future development of forecasting systems.

A comparison of the recording of comorbidity in primary and secondary care by using the Charlson Index to predict short-term and long-term survival in a routine linked data cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Crooks, C J; West, J; Card, T R

2015-06-05

Hospital admission records provide snapshots of clinical histories for a subset of the population admitted to hospital. In contrast, primary care records provide continuous clinical histories for complete populations, but might lack detail about inpatient stays. Therefore, combining primary and secondary care records should improve the ability of comorbidity scores to predict survival in population-based studies, and provide better adjustment for case-mix differences when assessing mortality outcomes. Cohort study. English primary and secondary care 1 January 2005 to 1 January 2010. All patients 20 years and older registered to a primary care practice contributing to the linked Clinical Practice Research Datalink from England. The performance of the Charlson index with mortality was compared when derived from either primary or secondary care data or both. This was assessed in relation to short-term and long-term survival, age, consultation rate, and specific acute and chronic diseases. 657,264 people were followed up from 1 January 2005. Although primary care recorded more comorbidity than secondary care, the resulting C statistics for the Charlson index remained similar: 0.86 and 0.87, respectively. Higher consultation rates and restricted age bands reduced the performance of the Charlson index, but the index's excellent performance persisted over longer follow-up; the C statistic was 0.87 over 1 year, and 0.85 over all 5 years of follow-up. The Charlson index derived from secondary care comorbidity had a greater effect than primary care comorbidity in reducing the association of upper gastrointestinal bleeding with mortality. However, they had a similar effect in reducing the association of diabetes with mortality. These findings support the use of the Charlson index from linked data and show that secondary care comorbidity coding performed at least as well as that derived from primary care in predicting survival. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited

QuickRNASeq lifts large-scale RNA-seq data analyses to the next level of automation and interactive visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Shanrong; Xi, Li; Quan, Jie; Xi, Hualin; Zhang, Ying; von Schack, David; Vincent, Michael; Zhang, Baohong

2016-01-08

RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), a next-generation sequencing technique for transcriptome profiling, is being increasingly used, in part driven by the decreasing cost of sequencing. Nevertheless, the analysis of the massive amounts of data generated by large-scale RNA-seq remains a challenge. Multiple algorithms pertinent to basic analyses have been developed, and there is an increasing need to automate the use of these tools so as to obtain results in an efficient and user friendly manner. Increased automation and improved visualization of the results will help make the results and findings of the analyses readily available to experimental scientists. By combing the best open source tools developed for RNA-seq data analyses and the most advanced web 2.0 technologies, we have implemented QuickRNASeq, a pipeline for large-scale RNA-seq data analyses and visualization. The QuickRNASeq workflow consists of three main steps. In Step #1, each individual sample is processed, including mapping RNA-seq reads to a reference genome, counting the numbers of mapped reads, quality control of the aligned reads, and SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) calling. Step #1 is computationally intensive, and can be processed in parallel. In Step #2, the results from individual samples are merged, and an integrated and interactive project report is generated. All analyses results in the report are accessible via a single HTML entry webpage. Step #3 is the data interpretation and presentation step. The rich visualization features implemented here allow end users to interactively explore the results of RNA-seq data analyses, and to gain more insights into RNA-seq datasets. In addition, we used a real world dataset to demonstrate the simplicity and efficiency of QuickRNASeq in RNA-seq data analyses and interactive visualizations. The seamless integration of automated capabilites with interactive visualizations in QuickRNASeq is not available in other published RNA-seq pipelines. The high degree

Robust short-term memory without synaptic learning.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel Johnson

Full Text Available Short-term memory in the brain cannot in general be explained the way long-term memory can--as a gradual modification of synaptic weights--since it takes place too quickly. Theories based on some form of cellular bistability, however, do not seem able to account for the fact that noisy neurons can collectively store information in a robust manner. We show how a sufficiently clustered network of simple model neurons can be instantly induced into metastable states capable of retaining information for a short time (a few seconds. The mechanism is robust to different network topologies and kinds of neural model. This could constitute a viable means available to the brain for sensory and/or short-term memory with no need of synaptic learning. Relevant phenomena described by neurobiology and psychology, such as local synchronization of synaptic inputs and power-law statistics of forgetting avalanches, emerge naturally from this mechanism, and we suggest possible experiments to test its viability in more biological settings.

Robust short-term memory without synaptic learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Samuel; Marro, J; Torres, Joaquín J

2013-01-01

Short-term memory in the brain cannot in general be explained the way long-term memory can--as a gradual modification of synaptic weights--since it takes place too quickly. Theories based on some form of cellular bistability, however, do not seem able to account for the fact that noisy neurons can collectively store information in a robust manner. We show how a sufficiently clustered network of simple model neurons can be instantly induced into metastable states capable of retaining information for a short time (a few seconds). The mechanism is robust to different network topologies and kinds of neural model. This could constitute a viable means available to the brain for sensory and/or short-term memory with no need of synaptic learning. Relevant phenomena described by neurobiology and psychology, such as local synchronization of synaptic inputs and power-law statistics of forgetting avalanches, emerge naturally from this mechanism, and we suggest possible experiments to test its viability in more biological settings.

Robust Short-Term Memory without Synaptic Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Samuel; Marro, J.; Torres, Joaquín J.

2013-01-01

Short-term memory in the brain cannot in general be explained the way long-term memory can – as a gradual modification of synaptic weights – since it takes place too quickly. Theories based on some form of cellular bistability, however, do not seem able to account for the fact that noisy neurons can collectively store information in a robust manner. We show how a sufficiently clustered network of simple model neurons can be instantly induced into metastable states capable of retaining information for a short time (a few seconds). The mechanism is robust to different network topologies and kinds of neural model. This could constitute a viable means available to the brain for sensory and/or short-term memory with no need of synaptic learning. Relevant phenomena described by neurobiology and psychology, such as local synchronization of synaptic inputs and power-law statistics of forgetting avalanches, emerge naturally from this mechanism, and we suggest possible experiments to test its viability in more biological settings. PMID:23349664

2015 QuickCompass of Sexual Assult-Related Responders: Statistical Methodology Report

Science.gov (United States)

2016-02-01

Degree Age CAGE5 18 to 24 years olds 25 to 30 years olds 31 to 34 years olds 35 to 40 years olds 41 years old and older Gender CSEX Male Female...2015 QuickCompass of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response- Related Responders Statistical Methodology Report Additional copies of this report...from: http://www.dtic.mil/ Ask for report by ADA630235 DMDC Report No. 2015-039 February 2016 2015 QUICKCOMPASS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION

25 CFR 115.708 - How quickly will trust funds received by the Secretary on behalf of tribes or individual Indians...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How quickly will trust funds received by the Secretary on behalf of tribes or individual Indians be deposited into a trust account? 115.708 Section 115.708 Indians... INDIVIDUAL INDIANS Trust Fund Accounts: General Information § 115.708 How quickly will trust funds received...

Indian gas field development plan aims for quick production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, N.

1992-01-01

The development of a new oil or gas field involves construction of various downstream facilities such as field flow lines, trunk lines, oil and gas collecting and processing stations, and transportation to refineries and consuming centers. This paper reports that it is essential that these facilities be built on a schedule that allows the products to be transported and processed as early as possible. Unless such an approach is initiated, the wells producing crude oil or natural gas will need to be shut-in in the absence of the other relative facilities. For quick returns on the investments, a realistic program and careful evaluation of the schedule is needed to ensure that early commissioning of the fields is possible

Los Alamos National Laboratory Develops ''Quick to WIPP'' Strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, R.; Allen, G.; Kosiewicz, S.; Martin, B.; LANL; Nunz, J.; Biedscheid, J.; Sellmer, T.; Willis, J.; Orban, J.; Liekhus, K.; Djordjevic, S.

2003-01-01

The Cerro Grande forest fire in May of 2000 and the terrorist events of September 11, 2001 precipitated concerns of the vulnerability of legacy contact-handled (CH), high-wattage transuranic (TRU) waste stored at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). An analysis of the 9,100 cubic meters of stored CH-TRU waste revealed that 400 cubic meters or 4.5% of the inventory represented 61% of the risk. The analysis further showed that this 400 cubic meters was contained in only 2,000 drums. These facts and the question ''How can the disposition of this waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) be accelerated?'' formed the genesis of LANL's Quick to WIPP initiative

Fast, accurate, and reliable molecular docking with QuickVina 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Alhossary, Amr; Handoko, Stephanus Daniel; Mu, Yuguang; Kwoh, Chee-Keong

2015-07-01

The need for efficient molecular docking tools for high-throughput screening is growing alongside the rapid growth of drug-fragment databases. AutoDock Vina ('Vina') is a widely used docking tool with parallelization for speed. QuickVina ('QVina 1') then further enhanced the speed via a heuristics, requiring high exhaustiveness. With low exhaustiveness, its accuracy was compromised. We present in this article the latest version of QuickVina ('QVina 2') that inherits both the speed of QVina 1 and the reliability of the original Vina. We tested the efficacy of QVina 2 on the core set of PDBbind 2014. With the default exhaustiveness level of Vina (i.e. 8), a maximum of 20.49-fold and an average of 2.30-fold acceleration with a correlation coefficient of 0.967 for the first mode and 0.911 for the sum of all modes were attained over the original Vina. A tendency for higher acceleration with increased number of rotatable bonds as the design variables was observed. On the accuracy, Vina wins over QVina 2 on 30% of the data with average energy difference of only 0.58 kcal/mol. On the same dataset, GOLD produced RMSD smaller than 2 Å on 56.9% of the data while QVina 2 attained 63.1%. The C++ source code of QVina 2 is available at (www.qvina.org). aalhossary@pmail.ntu.edu.sg Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Relationships between eating quickly and weight gain in Japanese university students: a longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamane, Mayu; Ekuni, Daisuke; Mizutani, Shinsuke; Kataoka, Kota; Sakumoto-Kataoka, Masami; Kawabata, Yuya; Omori, Chie; Azuma, Tetsuji; Tomofuji, Takaaki; Iwasaki, Yoshiaki; Morita, Manabu

2014-10-01

Many cross-sectional studies have reported a relationship between overweight/obesity and eating quickly, but there have been few longitudinal studies to address this relationship in younger populations. The purpose of this prospective longitudinal study was to investigate whether eating quickly was related to being overweight in Japanese university students. Of 1,396 students who underwent a general examination and completed questionnaires at the start of university and before graduation, 1,314 students (676 male and 638 female) of normal body composition [body mass index (BMI) students whose BMIs were ≥ 25 kg m(-2) were defined as overweight. In this study, 38 participants (2.9%) became overweight. In the logistic regression analysis, the risk of being overweight was increased in males [adjusted odds ratio (OR): 2.77; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.33-5.79; P university students. Copyright © 2014 The Obesity Society.

Atlas of PET/CT. A quick guide to image interpretation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fanti, Stefano [Bologna Univ. (Italy). PET; Farsad, Mohsen [Central Hospital of Bolzano (Italy). Nuclear Medicine; Mansi, Luigi [Second Univ. of Naples (Italy). Nuclear Medicine

2009-07-01

This user-friendly atlas, featuring about 500 images, should be a quick guide to interpreting PET/CT images with FDG in oncology. It also illustrates how to recognize normal, para-physiological, and benign pathological uptakes in a case-based practical manner. The text, which includes most relevant technical and pathophysiological premises, covers the main clinical applications and clearly articulates learning points and pitfalls. This atlas aims to become a standard text for nuclear medicine physicians and radiologists, residents and technicians whose work involves PET/CT imaging. This book is also suitable for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. (orig.)

The Level of Automation in Emergency Quick Disconnect Decision Making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imset Marius

2018-02-01

Full Text Available As a key measure for safety and environmental protection during offshore well operations, drill rigs are equipped with Emergency Quick Disconnect (EQD systems. However, an EQD operation is in itself considered a risky operation with a major economic impact. For this reason, it is of great importance to aid the operators in their assessment of the situation at all times, and help them make the best decisions. However, despite the availability of such systems, accidents do happen. This demonstrates the vulnerability of our human decision-making capabilities in extremely stressful situations. One way of improving the overall human-system performance with respect to EQD is to increase the level and quality of the automation and decision support systems. Although there is plenty of evidence that automated systems have weaknesses, there is also evidence that advanced software systems outperform humans in complex decision-making. The major challenge is to make sure that EQD is performed when necessary, but there is also a need to decrease the number of false EQDs. This paper applies an existing framework for levels of automation in order to explore the critical decision process leading to an EQD. We provide an overview of the benefits and drawbacks of existing automation and decision support systems vs. manual human decision-making. Data are collected from interviews of offshore users, suppliers, and oil companies, as well as from formal operational procedures. Findings are discussed using an established framework for the level of automation. Our conclusion is that there is an appropriate level of automation in critical situations related to the loss of the position of the drill rig, and that there is the promising potential to increase the autonomy level in a mid- and long-term situation assessment.

A fast reactor transient analysis methodology for PCs: Volume 3, LTC program manual of the QuickBASIC code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, K.O.; Chung, L.

1992-06-01

This manual augments the detailed manual of the GW-BASIC version of the LTC code for an application in QuickBASIC. As most of the GW-BASIC coding of this program for ''LMR Transient Calculations'' is compatible with QuickBASIC, this manual pertains primarily to the required changes, such as the handling of input and output. The considerable reduction in computation time achieved by this conversion is demonstrated for two sample problems, using a variety of hardware and execution options. The revised code is listed. Although the severe storage limitations of GW-BASIC no longer apply, the LOF transient path has not been completed in this QuickBASIC code. Its advantages are thus primarily in the much faster running time for TOP and LOHS transients. For the fastest PC hardware (486) and execution option the computation time is reduced by a factor of 124 compared to GW-BASIC on a 386/20

Learning from near misses: from quick fixes to closing off the Swiss-cheese holes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffs, Lianne; Berta, Whitney; Lingard, Lorelei; Baker, G Ross

2012-04-01

The extent to which individuals in healthcare use near misses as learning opportunities remains poorly understood. Thus, an exploratory study was conducted to gain insight into the nature of, and contributing factors to, organisational learning from near misses in clinical practice. A constructivist grounded theory approach was employed which included semi-structured interviews with 24 participants (16 clinicians and 8 administrators) from a large teaching hospital in Canada. This study revealed three scenarios for the responses to near misses, the most common involved 'doing a quick fix' where clinicians recognised and corrected an error with no further action. The second scenario consisted of reporting near misses but not hearing back from management, which some participants characterised as 'going into a black hole'. The third scenario was 'closing off the Swiss-cheese holes', in which a reported near miss generated corrective action at an organisational level. Explanations for 'doing a quick fix' included the pervasiveness of near misses that cause no harm and fear associated with reporting the near miss. 'Going into a black hole' reflected managers' focus on operational duties and events that harmed patients. 'Closing off the Swiss-cheese holes' occurred when managers perceived substantial potential for harm and preventability. Where learning was perceived to occur, leaders played a pivotal role in encouraging near-miss reporting. To optimise learning, organisations will need to determine which near misses are appropriate to be responded to as 'quick fixes' and which ones require further action at the unit and corporate levels.

Pre-Service Teachers' Perception of Quick Response (QR) Code Integration in Classroom Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Nagla; Santos, Ieda M.; Areepattamannil, Shaljan

2017-01-01

Quick Response (QR) codes have been discussed in the literature as adding value to teaching and learning. Despite their potential in education, more research is needed to inform practice and advance knowledge in this field. This paper investigated the integration of the QR code in classroom activities and the perceptions of the integration by…

Epigenetics as a mechanism linking developmental exposures to long-term toxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Barouki, R; Melén, E; Herceg, Z; Beckers, J; Chen, J; Karagas, M; Puga, A; Xia, Y; Chadwick, L; Yan, W; Audouze, K; Slama, R; Heindel, J; Grandjean, P; Kawamoto, T; Nohara, K

2018-05-01

A variety of experimental and epidemiological studies lend support to the Developmental Origin of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept. Yet, the actual mechanisms accounting for mid- and long-term effects of early-life exposures remain unclear. Epigenetic alterations such as changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications and the expression of certain RNAs have been suggested as possible mediators of long-term health effects of environmental stressors. This report captures discussions and conclusions debated during the last Prenatal Programming and Toxicity meeting held in Japan. Its first aim is to propose a number of criteria that are critical to support the primary contribution of epigenetics in DOHaD and intergenerational transmission of environmental stressors effects. The main criteria are the full characterization of the stressors, the actual window of exposure, the target tissue and function, the specificity of the epigenetic changes and the biological plausibility of the linkage between those changes and health outcomes. The second aim is to discuss long-term effects of a number of stressors such as smoking, air pollution and endocrine disruptors in order to identify the arguments supporting the involvement of an epigenetic mechanism. Based on the developed criteria, missing evidence and suggestions for future research will be identified. The third aim is to critically analyze the evidence supporting the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in intergenerational and transgenerational effects of environmental exposure and to particularly discuss the role of placenta and sperm. While the article is not a systematic review and is not meant to be exhaustive, it critically assesses the contribution of epigenetics in the long-term effects of environmental exposures as well as provides insight for future research. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a Single Detector Ring Micro Crystal Element Scanner: QuickPET II

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert S. Miyaoka

2005-04-01

Full Text Available This article describes a single ring version of the micro crystal element scanner (MiCES and investigation of its spatial resolution imaging characteristics for mouse positron emission tomography (PET imaging. This single ring version of the MiCES system, referred to as QuickPET II, consists of 18 MiCE detector modules mounted as a single ring in a vertical gantry. The system has a 5.76-cm transverse field of view and a 1.98-cm axial field of view. In addition to the scanner and data acquisition system, we have developed an iterative reconstruction that includes a model of the system's detector response function. Evaluation images of line sources and mice have been acquired. Using filtered backprojection, the resolution for a reconstructed line source has been measured at 1.2 mm full width at half maximum. F-18-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose mouse PET images are provided. The result shows that QuickPET II has the imaging characteristics to support high-resolution, static mouse PET studies using 18-F labeled compounds.

Quick installation/removal technology for first wall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tachikawa, Katsuhiro; Horie, Tomoyoshi; Seki, Yasushi; Fujisawa, Noboru; Kondoh, Mitsunori; Uchida, Takao.

1989-07-01

Fusion Next Step Device (FER) plans to experiment Deutrium-Tritium (D-T) reaction, remote handling and other fusion engineering issues. The fast neutron of 14 MeV caused by D-T reaction does not only activate the structural components inside the vacuum vessel, but also damages some first walls. The technique to remove the armour tiles of first walls by simple and quick operation is a key technology for the D-T burning Next Step Device. To establish the rational remote tile handling technology, consideration of consistency between the reactor structure and remote equipments should be made. The report comprises mainly the joint structures of armour tiles, design conditions (electro-magnetic force, cooling systems and so forth) and remote equipments. In addition, it is referred in shape memory alloy (SMA) applications, transportation of damaged tiles from the vacuum vessel and inspection systems for the first wall integrity. Hereafter, furthermore study in depth for the tile handling must be made in parallel with verification of remote systems and tile attachment structures using partial mockups. (author)

Fortification of lysine for improving protein quality in multiple-fortified quick cooking rice : Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wongmetinee, T.; Boonstra, A.; Zimmermann, M.B.; Chavasit, V.

2009-01-01

Previous studies in Thailand indicated that rice-based complementary foods of breast-fed infants normally provided inadequate iron and calcium. Quick-cooking rice fortified with different nutrients was therefore developed. The idea of lysine fortification was based on the fact that lysine is a

Reliability of a Test Battery Designed for Quickly and Safely Assessing Diverse Indices of Neuromuscular Function

Science.gov (United States)

Spiering, Barry A.; Lee, Stuart M. C.; Mulavara, Ajitkumar P.; Bentley, Jason, R.; Buxton, Roxanne E.; Lawrence, Emily L.; Sinka, Joseph; Guilliams, Mark E.; Ploutz-Snyder, Lori L.; Bloomberg, Jacob J.

2010-01-01

Spaceflight affects nearly every physiological system. Spaceflight-induced alterations in physiological function translate to decrements in functional performance. Purpose: To develop a test battery for quickly and safely assessing diverse indices of neuromuscular performance. I. Quickly: Battery of tests can be completed in approx.30-40 min. II. Safely: a) No eccentric muscle actions or impact forces. b) Tests present little challenge to postural stability. III. Diverse indices: a) Strength: Excellent reliability (ICC = 0.99) b) Central activation: Very good reliability (ICC = 0.87) c) Power: Excellent reliability (ICC = 0.99) d) Endurance: Total work has excellent reliability (ICC = 0.99) e) Force steadiness: Poor reliability (ICC = 0.20 - 0.60) National

Sweet Rejuvenation: Linking In-Service and Teacher Induction.

Science.gov (United States)

McNair, Veda; And Others

This paper describes a collaborative effort between a local education agency (LEA) and an institution of higher education to link inservice education with induction--teachers teaching teachers. The program, based on the Joyce coaching paradigm and recent cognitive development research, posits that long-term training conducted by trained teachers…

Many general language dictionaries contain specialized terms

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

Lexikos 25 (AFRILEX-reeks/series 25: 2015): 246-261 ... attention to the link between dictionary functions, corpora and the data presented in dictionaries, ... technical words) in general language dictionaries is sparse and concerns terms .... civil procedure terms to focus on and in which dictionaries to look, I will go on.

High Tc superconducting nonlinear inductance and quick response magnetic sensor devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchiyama, T.; Mohri, K.; Ozeki, A.; Shibata, T.

1990-01-01

A flux penetration model considering the demagnetizing effect is presented in order to analyze the nonlinear inductance characteristics for HTcSC. Various quick response magnetic devices such as modulators, magnetic switches and magnetic sensors were constructed. The magnetizing frequency can be set up more than 10 MHz which is difficult to achieve with the conventional ferromagnetic bulk cores. The cut-off frequency of 1.6 MHz was obtained for the sensors using the HTcSC cores at a magnetizing frequency of 11.5 MHz

Review of English Language Library and Information Science Weblogs: Analyzing the Link between Weblog Types and Their Technical /Content Structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tahereh Karami

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Weblog has become well established as one of the Web 2.0 products. Given the essential nature of their job, librarians and information professionals, can use weblog as a quick and easy mean for information and knowledge sharing. The present study reviews some 150 LIS weblogs in order to examine and analyze the link between weblog types (personal, library-owned or group operated with their content and technical structure. Webometric methods were deployed for selection of the sample. The findings indicated that there is a significant correlation between the weblog types and their update frequency. The same holds between the weblog types and their content. But no such significance was observed with respect to the weblog publishing tools. The investigators believe that the links uncovered could also hold true for Iranian LIS weblogs.

Fluorescence imaging of tryptophan and collagen cross-links to evaluate wound closure ex vivo

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ying; Ortega-Martinez, Antonio; Farinelli, Bill; Anderson, R. R.; Franco, Walfre

2016-02-01

Wound size is a key parameter in monitoring healing. Current methods to measure wound size are often subjective, time-consuming and marginally invasive. Recently, we developed a non-invasive, non-contact, fast and simple but robust fluorescence imaging (u-FEI) method to monitor the healing of skin wounds. This method exploits the fluorescence of native molecules to tissue as functional and structural markers. The objective of the present study is to demonstrate the feasibility of using variations in the fluorescence intensity of tryptophan and cross-links of collagen to evaluate proliferation of keratinocyte cells and quantitate size of wound during healing, respectively. Circular dermal wounds were created in ex vivo human skin and cultured in different media. Two serial fluorescence images of tryptophan and collagen cross-links were acquired every two days. Histology and immunohistology were used to validate correlation between fluorescence and epithelialization. Images of collagen cross-links show fluorescence of the exposed dermis and, hence, are a measure of wound area. Images of tryptophan show higher fluorescence intensity of proliferating keratinocytes forming new epithelium, as compared to surrounding keratinocytes not involved in epithelialization. These images are complementary since collagen cross-links report on structure while tryptophan reports on function. HE and immunohistology show that tryptophan fluorescence correlates with newly formed epidermis. We have established a fluorescence imaging method for studying epithelialization processes during wound healing in a skin organ culture model, our approach has the potential to provide a non-invasive, non-contact, quick, objective and direct method for quantitative measurements in wound healing in vivo.

The effect of quick feedback on employee motivation and performance : A qualitative study on how to formulate effective feedback

OpenAIRE

Marthouret, Eloïse; Sigvardsson, Sofie

2016-01-01

This thesis conceptualizes quick feedback as part of a performance management tool influencing and contributing to the individual’s self-motivation to work and improvement of employees’ performance. Prior research has shown that feedback is often considered to be a useful communication tool but not essential due to its time-consumption, i.e. feedback is perceived as too time-consuming to be prioritized. Thus, this thesis investigates the potential benefits of a quick feedback strategy focusin...

An Inductive Link-Based Wireless Power Transfer System for Biomedical Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. A. Adeeb

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A wireless power transfer system using an inductive link has been demonstrated for implantable sensor applications. The system is composed of two primary blocks: an inductive power transfer unit and a backward data communication unit. The inductive link performs two functions: coupling the required power from a wireless power supply system enabling battery-less, long-term implant operation and providing a backward data transmission path. The backward data communication unit transmits the data to an outside reader using FSK modulation scheme via the inductive link. To demonstrate the operation of the inductive link, a board-level design has been implemented with high link efficiency. Test results from a fabricated sensor system, composed of a hybrid implementation of custom-integrated circuits and board-level discrete components, are presented demonstrating power transmission of 125 mW with a 12.5% power link transmission efficiency. Simultaneous backward data communication involving a digital pulse rate of up to 10 kbps was also observed.

[Who is interested in quick and intentional death--reflections of a public health economist].

Science.gov (United States)

Oggier, W

2001-12-06

Healthcare economics deals with the concepts of direct, indirect and intangible costs and the interrelated timeframes. Using two concrete examples, the author will examine the utilization patterns of direct and indirect costs and take a look at the participants who might be interested in a quick and intentional death.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program. Development of a Quick TBT Analytical Method

Science.gov (United States)

2000-08-16

Development of a Quick TBT Analytical Method 09/25/2000 Page 3 of 38 Executive Summary Concern about the toxic effect of tributyltin have caused the...Antifouling Paints on the Environment Tributyl tin ( TBT ) has been shown to be highly toxic to certain aquatic organisms at concentrations measured in the...paints, developed in the 1960s, contains the organotin tributyltin ( TBT ), which has been proven to cause deformations in oysters and sex changes in

Medium-Term Oil Market Report 2006

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2006-07-01

How much oil will the world consume in 2011? What role will OPEC play in global oil production? Will biofuels become an important part of the oil market? The International Energy Agencys (IEA) Medium-Term Oil Market Report tackles these questions, adopting a perspective that goes beyond the traditional short-term market analysis provided in the IEAs monthly Oil Market Report. Drawing on current futures curves and the investment threshold for upstream projects, the Medium-Term Oil Market Report analyses how global demand and supply balances may develop in the next five years. The forecasts look in detail at product demand and the supply potential from all the firmly planned individual upstream and downstream projects around the world. The results provide invaluable insights on vital issues such as surplus production capacity and product supply. The rapid pace of change in the oil market means that forecasts can become outdated very quickly. This interim update provides the opportunity to rebase the data and forecasts in the annual Medium-Term Oil Market Report and to discuss and analyse new issues affecting the oil industry. Policymakers, market analysts, energy experts and anyone interested in understanding and following trends in the oil market should find this report extremely useful.

High sensitivity of quick view capsule endoscopy for detection of small bowel Crohn's disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halling, Morten Lee; Nathan, Torben; Kjeldsen, Jens

2014-01-01

Capsule endoscopy (CE) has a high sensitivity for diagnosing small bowel Crohn's disease, but video analysis is time consuming. The quick view (qv) function is an effective tool to reduce time consumption. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of missed small bowel ulcerations with qv-C...

Mechanical System Analysis/Design Tool (MSAT) Quick Guide

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, HauHua; Kolb, Mark; Madelone, Jack

1998-01-01

MSAT is a unique multi-component multi-disciplinary tool that organizes design analysis tasks around object-oriented representations of configuration components, analysis programs and modules, and data transfer links between them. This creative modular architecture enables rapid generation of input stream for trade-off studies of various engine configurations. The data transfer links automatically transport output from one application as relevant input to the next application once the sequence is set up by the user. The computations are managed via constraint propagation - the constraints supplied by the user as part of any optimization module. The software can be used in the preliminary design stage as well as during the detail design of product development process.

The challenge of the growth of the asian gas market in the long term. Opportunities and restrictions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finon, D.; Locatelli, C.

1999-01-01

The Asian gas market is expected to quickly resume its ground at the spectacular rate of the 90's, expanding to new purchasers and new exporters, including the countries of the Middle East and the CIS in search of outlets for their gas resources. The aim of this article is to identify the broad tendencies in the development of this market over the next 20 years. To meet potential demand (600 Mtoe in the year 2020 as opposed to 210 Mtoe at present) the base of reserves to be exploited must expand beyond South Eastern Asia. The procedures for commercialization must gradually open to include trade via land-based infrastructures, alongside conventional LNG business. If al gas projects, LNG chains or gas pipelines are faced with significant restriction (scale of capital to be mobilized, outlets to be guaranteed, price risk, country risk), the gas-pipe-line projects, the only ones which are capable of establishing a link between the richest basins and the most important potential markets would be feasible only in the long-term future. In any case, the major petroleum and gas companies are essential to the concrete realisation of the projects. (authors)

Simulation of Controller Pilot Data Link Communications over VHF Digital Link Mode 3

Science.gov (United States)

Bretmersky, Steven C.; Murawski, Robert; Nguyen, Thanh C.; Raghavan, Rajesh S.

2004-01-01

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has established an operational plan for the future Air Traffic Management (ATM) system, in which the Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) is envisioned to evolve into digital messaging that will take on an ever increasing role in controller to pilot communications, significantly changing the way the National Airspace System (NAS) is operating. According to FAA, CPDLC represents the first phase of the transition from the current analog voice system to an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) compliant system in which digital communication becomes the alternate and perhaps primary method of routine communication. The CPDLC application is an Air Traffic Service (ATS) application in which pilots and controllers exchange messages via an addressed data link. CPDLC includes a set of clearance, information, and request message elements that correspond to existing phraseology employed by current Air Traffic Control (ATC) procedures. These message elements encompass altitude assignments, crossing constraints, lateral deviations, route changes and clearances, speed assignments, radio frequency assignments, and various requests for information. The pilot is provided with the capability to respond to messages, to request clearances and information, to report information, and to declare/rescind an emergency. A 'free text' capability is also provided to exchange information not conforming to defined formats. This paper presents simulated results of the aeronautical telecommunication application Controller Pilot Data Link Communications over VHF Digital Link Mode 3 (VDL Mode 3). The objective of this simulation study was to determine the impact of CPDLC traffic loads, in terms of timely message delivery and capacity of the VDL Mode 3 subnetwork. The traffic model is based on and is used for generating air/ground messages with different priorities. Communication is modeled for the en route domain of the Cleveland

A Newsboy Model with Quick Response under Sustainable Carbon Cap-N-Trade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinpyo Lee

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In this study, we consider a carbon emission cap-and-trade system in which the policymaker decides the cap for carbon emissions for each company and also has the power to regulate the carbon price in the carbon trading market for the purpose of minimizing total carbon emissions. We assume that there are n companies regulated in terms of carbon emissions by the policymaker, each of which emits carbon when producing its own product. After learning the carbon cap and carbon price regulated by the policymaker, each company makes simultaneous pricing and production decisions using the quick response strategy, and can trade some of its carbon emissions in the carbon market at the carbon price set by the policymaker, if the carbon emissions are below the cap. We model this non-cooperative game between the policymaker and companies as a Stackelberg game in which the policymaker is the leader and the companies are the followers. We show that there exists an equilibrium for the policymaker’s carbon pricing decisions and each company’s production and pricing decisions. From this equilibrium, we derive a carbon cap for the company at which the amount of traded carbon emissions is zero. This implies that some company’s production and pricing decisions, even under carbon emission restrictions, will be equal to those without the carbon emission restrictions. Also, we find that companies participating in the carbon cap-and-trade system would reduce their carbon emissions through reduced production, but can have a chance to improve profit through control of the product’s selling price.

Socioeconomic gradients in all-cause, premature and avoidable mortality among immigrants and long-term residents using linked death records in Ontario, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Anam M; Urquia, Marcelo; Kornas, Kathy; Henry, David; Cheng, Stephanie Y; Bornbaum, Catherine; Rosella, Laura C

2017-07-01

Immigrants have been shown to possess a health advantage, yet are also more likely to reside in arduous economic conditions. Little is known about if and how the socioeconomic gradient for all-cause, premature and avoidable mortality differs according to immigration status. Using several linked population-based vital and demographic databases from Ontario, we examined a cohort of all deaths in the province between 2002 and 2012. We constructed count models, adjusted for relevant covariates, to attain age-adjusted mortality rates and rate ratios for all-cause, premature and avoidable mortality across income quintile in immigrants and long-term residents, stratified by sex. A downward gradient in age-adjusted all-cause mortality was observed with increasing income quintile, in immigrants (males: Q5: 13.32, Q1: 20.18; females: Q5: 9.88, Q1: 12.51) and long-term residents (males: Q5: 33.25, Q1: 57.67; females: Q5: 22.31, Q1: 36.76). Comparing the lowest and highest income quintiles, male and female immigrants had a 56% and 28% lower all-cause mortality rate, respectively. Similar trends were observed for premature and avoidable mortality. Although immigrants had consistently lower mortality rates compared with long-term residents, trends only differed statistically across immigration status for females (pimmigration status. Additionally, the immigrant health advantage was observed and income disparities were less pronounced in immigrants compared with long-term residents. These findings support the need to examine the factors that drive inequalities in mortality within and across immigration status. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

PANANICA quick charger for portable VIR and color camera

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watanabe, Y; Sato, K; Kitani, M

1978-04-01

Recently, the use of portable VTR and color camera systems has become popular for producing various news films, documentary films, general TV programs, and VTR commercials. A cylindrical sealed nickel--cadmium rechargeable battery has been used as the system power source, and, therefore, a method of quick charge to keep the battery ready for the next use has been strongly demanded. The usual charge method, however, leaves something to be desired. It cannot give full performance with respect to required capacity, and it damages the battery by overcharge. The PANANICA Quck Charger, which can charge the battery safely and effectively, was developed by using the pulse-charge method, a temperature sensor to control the charge, the charge-stop function to prevent overcharge, exclusive intergrated circuit, etc. (7 figures, 3 tables)

Too Many Links in the Horizon; What is Next? Linked Views and Linked History

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E. Liarou (Erietta); S. Idreos (Stratos)

2011-01-01

textabstractThe trend for more online linked data becomes stronger. Foreseeing a future where ``everything" will be online and linked, we ask the critical question; what is next? We envision that managing, querying and storing large amounts of links and data is far from yet another query

Bone-Cement: The New Medical Quick Fix

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinesh Bhatia

2010-01-01

Full Text Available

Bone Cement is being widely used in vertebroplasty, a minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat spinal fractures and collapsed vertebrae. It is being labeled as a concrete success in medical field. It is being used to treat fractures due to osteoporosis, menopause, steroids, hyperthyroidism and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.  In this technique a needle with bone cement (PMMA, polymethylmethacrylate is injected into the collapsed vertebra after administering local anesthesia to patient. It solidifies within few minutes and provides support to damaged bone resulting in relief to the patient. It also prevents the movement between different parts of the broken bone. Hence it requires a short hospital stay for the patient and the procedure can be performed with much ease and at significant lower costs. Patient can resume normal activity within a day or so. Bone cement is now being referred to as the quick medical fix material for early repair of fractures.

Valuation of Index-Linked Cash Flows in a Heath–Jarrow–Morton Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonas Alm

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we study the valuation of stochastic cash flows that exhibit dependence on interest rates. We focus on insurance liability cash flows linked to an index, such as a consumer price index or wage index, where changes in the index value can be partially understood in terms of changes in the term structure of interest rates. Insurance liability cash flows that are not explicitly linked to an index may still be valued in our framework by interpreting index returns as so-called claims inflation, i.e., an increase in claims cost per sold insurance contract. We focus primarily on the case when a deep and liquid market for index-linked contracts is absent or when the market price data are unreliable. Firstly, we present an approach for assigning a monetary value to a stochastic cash flow that does not require full knowledge of the joint dynamics of the cash flow and the term structure of interest rates. Secondly, we investigate in detail model selection, estimation and validation in a Heath–Jarrow–Morton framework. Finally, we analyze the effects of model uncertainty on the valuation of the cash flows and how forecasts of cash flows and interest rates translate into model parameters and affect the valuation.

The method of quick satellite aiming with 3-Steps on the mobile satellite station

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheng Liang

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The study analyses and concludes the technology of the satellite aiming during real-time broadcast of mobile video.We conclude a method of quick satellite aiming with 3-steps according to practical exercises and users' requirement to meet situation of facts and standardized operation,which can improve efficiency and quality of service.

Adaptive threshold-based shadow masking for across-date settlement classification of panchromatic quickBird images

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Luus, FPS

2014-06-01

Full Text Available -1 IEEE GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING LETTERS, VOL. 11, NO. 6, JUNE 2014 1153 Adaptive Threshold-Based Shadow Masking for Across- Date Settlement Classification of Panchromatic QuickBird Images F. P. S. Luus, F. van den Bergh, and B. T. J. Maharaj...

Scrapie infectivity is quickly cleared in tissues of orally-infected farmed fish

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faoro Franco

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE belongs to the group of animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE. BSE epidemic in the UK and elsewhere in Europe has been linked to the use of bovine meat and bone meals (MBM in the feeding of cattle. There is concern that pigs, poultry and fish bred for human consumption and fed with infected MBM would eventually develop BSE or carry residual infectivity without disease. Although there has been no evidence of infection in these species, experimental data on the susceptibility to the BSE agent of farm animals other than sheep and cow are limited only to pigs and domestic chicken. In the framework of a EU-granted project we have challenged two species of fish largely used in human food consumption, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss and turbot (Scophthalmus maximus, with a mouse-adapted TSE strain (scrapie 139A, to assess the risk related to oral consumption of TSE contaminated food. In trout, we also checked the "in vitro" ability of the pathological isoform of the mouse prion protein (PrPSc to cross the intestinal epithelium when added to the mucosal side of everted intestine. Results Fish challenged with a large amount of scrapie mouse brain homogenate by either oral or parenteral routes, showed the ability to clear the majority of infectivity load. None of the fish tissues taken at different time points after oral or parenteral inoculation was able to provoke scrapie disease after intracerebral inoculation in recipient mice. However, a few recipient mice were positive for PrPSc and spongiform lesions in the brain. We also showed a specific binding of PrPSc to the mucosal side of fish intestine in the absence of an active uptake of the prion protein through the intestinal wall. Conclusion These results indicate that scrapie 139A, and possibly BSE, is quickly removed from fish tissues despite evidence of a prion like protein in fish and of a specific binding of Pr

A multi-level analysis of the EU linking directive process: the controversial connection between EU and global climate policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flaam, Karoline Haegstad

2007-10-15

Despite initial scepticism in the EU towards the Kyoto Protocol's project mechanisms (the CDM and JI), the 'Linking Directive' was adopted in October 2004, connecting the EU emissions trading scheme with the project mechanisms. Not only was the Linking Directive settled remarkably quickly, the decision-making process also left a more liberal text, with fewer restrictions on the use of the project mechanisms, as compared to the initial directive proposal. This report examines possible explanations to this puzzle, evaluating whether Member State preferences, EU institutions or external influence from the climate regime best can contribute to understanding the process. On the basis of the analysis of written sources stemming from the decision-making process, as well as seven in-depth interviews, the report finds that Member State preferences were the main driver in the Linking Directive process. This gives support to the intergovernmentalist mantra, that Member States are the main decision-makers in the EU. It also challenges much recent research claiming that EU policy-making is increasingly being taken out of the hands of the nation-state and into supranational actors such as the Commission and the European Parliament. (author). 41 refs., figs., tabs

A multi-level analysis of the EU linking directive process: the controversial connection between EU and global climate policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flaam, Karoline Haegstad

2007-10-15

Despite initial scepticism in the EU towards the Kyoto Protocol's project mechanisms (the CDM and JI), the 'Linking Directive' was adopted in October 2004, connecting the EU emissions trading scheme with the project mechanisms. Not only was the Linking Directive settled remarkably quickly, the decision-making process also left a more liberal text, with fewer restrictions on the use of the project mechanisms, as compared to the initial directive proposal. This report examines possible explanations to this puzzle, evaluating whether Member State preferences, EU institutions or external influence from the climate regime best can contribute to understanding the process. On the basis of the analysis of written sources stemming from the decision-making process, as well as seven in-depth interviews, the report finds that Member State preferences were the main driver in the Linking Directive process. This gives support to the intergovernmentalist mantra, that Member States are the main decision-makers in the EU. It also challenges much recent research claiming that EU policy-making is increasingly being taken out of the hands of the nation-state and into supranational actors such as the Commission and the European Parliament. (author). 41 refs., figs., tabs

Linking CHHiP prostate cancer RCT with GP records: A study proposal to investigate the effect of co-morbidities and medications on long-term symptoms and radiotherapy-related toxicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnieszka Lemanska

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Patients receiving cancer treatment often have one or more co-morbid conditions that are treated pharmacologically. Co-morbidities are recorded in clinical trials usually only at baseline. However, co-morbidities evolve and new ones emerge during cancer treatment. The interaction between multi-morbidity and cancer recovery is significant but poorly understood. Purpose: To investigate the effect of co-morbidities (e.g. cardiovascular and diabetes and medications (e.g. statins, antihypertensives, metformin on radiotherapy-related toxicity and long-term symptoms in order to identify potential risk factors. The possible protective effect of medications such as statins or antihypertensives in reducing radiotherapy-related toxicity will also be explored. Methods: Two datasets will be linked. (1 CHHiP (Conventional or Hypofractionated High Dose Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer randomised control trial. CHHiP contains pelvic symptoms and radiation-related toxicity reported by patients and clinicians. (2 GP (General Practice data from RCGP RSC (Royal College of General Practitioners Research and Surveillance Centre. The GP records of CHHiP patients will be extracted, including cardiovascular co-morbidities, diabetes and prescription medications. Statistical analysis of the combined dataset will be performed in order to investigate the effect. Conclusions: Linking two sources of healthcare data is an exciting area of big healthcare data research. With limited data in clinical trials (not all clinical trials collect information on co-morbidities or medications and limited lengths of follow-up, linking different sources of information is increasingly needed to investigate long-term outcomes. With increasing pressures to collect detailed information in clinical trials (e.g. co-morbidities, medications, linkage to routinely collected data offers the potential to support efficient conduct of clinical trials. Keywords: Data

3D for free using the Mac's standard apps : converting raw 3D text files to QuickDraw 3D's 3DMF format using AppleScript

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Djajadiningrat, J.P.

2003-01-01

This article introduces you to the basics of 3D files in general and the 3D Metafile (3DMF), QuickDraw 3D's native 3D format, in particular. It shows how you can use AppleScript to easily convert a raw 3D text file into a 3DMF readable by the QuickDraw 3D Viewer or any other QuickDraw 3D compatible

Development of 70 MW class superconducting generator with quick-response excitation

Science.gov (United States)

Miyaike, Kiyoshi; Kitajima, Toshio; Ito, Tetsuo

2002-03-01

The development of a superconducting generator had been carried out for 12 years under the first stage of a Super GM project. The 70 MW class model machine with quick response excitation was manufactured and evaluated in the project. This type of superconducting generator improves power system stability against rapid load fluctuations at the power system faults. This model machine achieved all development targets including high stability during rapid excitation control. It was also connected to the actual 77 kV electrical power grid as a synchronous condenser and proved advantages and high-operation reliability of the superconducting generator.

Cross-linked compared with historical polyethylene in THA: an 8-year clinical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Geerdink, Carel H; Grimm, Bernd; Vencken, Wendy; Heyligers, Ide C; Tonino, Alphons J

2009-04-01

Wear particle-induced osteolysis is a major cause of aseptic loosening in THA. Increasing wear resistance of polyethylene (PE) occurs by increasing the cross-link density and early reports document low wear rates with such implants. To confirm longer-term reductions in wear we compared cross-linked polyethylene (irradiation in nitrogen, annealing) with historical polyethylene (irradiation in air) in a prospective, randomized clinical study involving 48 patients who underwent THAs with a minimum followup of 7 years (mean, 8 years; range, 7-9 years). The insert material was the only variable. The Harris hip score, radiographic signs of osteolysis, and polyethylene wear were recorded annually. Twenty-three historical and 17 moderately cross-linked polyethylene inserts were analyzed (five patients died, three were lost to followup). At 8 years, the wear rate was lower for cross-linked polyethylene (0.088 +/- 0.03 mm/year) than for the historical polyethylene (0.142 +/- 0.07 mm/year). This reduction (38%) did not diminish with time (33% at 5 years). Acetabular cyst formation was less frequent (39% versus 12%), affected fewer DeLee and Charnley zones (17% versus 4%), and was less severe for the cross-linked polyethylene. The only revision was for an aseptically loose cup in the historical polyethylene group. Moderately cross-linked polyethylene maintained its wear advantage with time and produced less osteolysis, showing no signs of aging at mid-term followup. Level I, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Link-topic model for biomedical abbreviation disambiguation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Seonho; Yoon, Juntae

2015-02-01

The ambiguity of biomedical abbreviations is one of the challenges in biomedical text mining systems. In particular, the handling of term variants and abbreviations without nearby definitions is a critical issue. In this study, we adopt the concepts of topic of document and word link to disambiguate biomedical abbreviations. We newly suggest the link topic model inspired by the latent Dirichlet allocation model, in which each document is perceived as a random mixture of topics, where each topic is characterized by a distribution over words. Thus, the most probable expansions with respect to abbreviations of a given abstract are determined by word-topic, document-topic, and word-link distributions estimated from a document collection through the link topic model. The model allows two distinct modes of word generation to incorporate semantic dependencies among words, particularly long form words of abbreviations and their sentential co-occurring words; a word can be generated either dependently on the long form of the abbreviation or independently. The semantic dependency between two words is defined as a link and a new random parameter for the link is assigned to each word as well as a topic parameter. Because the link status indicates whether the word constitutes a link with a given specific long form, it has the effect of determining whether a word forms a unigram or a skipping/consecutive bigram with respect to the long form. Furthermore, we place a constraint on the model so that a word has the same topic as a specific long form if it is generated in reference to the long form. Consequently, documents are generated from the two hidden parameters, i.e. topic and link, and the most probable expansion of a specific abbreviation is estimated from the parameters. Our model relaxes the bag-of-words assumption of the standard topic model in which the word order is neglected, and it captures a richer structure of text than does the standard topic model by considering

Characterization of high impedance connecting links for Bolometric detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giachero, A. [INFN, Sezione di Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano (Italy); Università di Milano Bicocca, Dipartimento di Fisica G. Occhialini, Piazza della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano (Italy); Gotti, C. [INFN, Sezione di Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano (Italy); Università di Milano Bicocca, Dipartimento di Fisica G. Occhialini, Piazza della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano (Italy); Università di Firenze, Dipartimento di Elettronica e Telecomunicazioni, Via S. Marta 3, I-50139 Firenze (Italy); Maino, M. [INFN, Sezione di Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano (Italy); Università di Milano Bicocca, Dipartimento di Fisica G. Occhialini, Piazza della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano (Italy); Pessina, G., E-mail: pessina@mib.infn.it [INFN, Sezione di Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano (Italy); Università di Milano Bicocca, Dipartimento di Fisica G. Occhialini, Piazza della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano (Italy)

2013-08-01

High impedance connecting links and cables are tested at low frequency in terms of their parasitic impedance to ground and to neighboring connecting links. These parameters must be well characterized with detectors operated at low temperature, especially when the very front-end is at room temperature, which results in a long link. This is the case of the LUCIFER experiment, an array of crystals where every event of interest produces two signals, one composed of phonons, the other of photons. The parasitic impedance is usually considered to be the parallel combination of a resistance and a capacitance. We characterized both and found that from the static measurements the capacitance of the cable resulted much larger. On the basis of this result we optimized the measurement set-up and developed a model to account for this behavior.

A comparison of experiment, CEPXS/ONETRAN, TIGERP, and QUICKE2 net electron emission coefficients for various bremsstrahlung spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ballard, W.P.; Lorence, L.J. Jr.; Snowden, D.P.; van Lint, V.A.J.; Beale, E.S.

1987-01-01

This work compares a carefully designed experiment with the predictions of four different codes (CEPXS/ONETRAN, TIGERP, TIGER and QUICKE2) for the complex bremsstrahlung spectra typical of very intense pulsed power x-ray generators. Accurate calculation of net photon-induced electron emission yields at material interfaces using Monte Carlo codes can be particularly difficult if the forward and reverse partial yields are of similar magnitudes. In such a circumstance, the statistical error in the Monte Carlo solution (TIGER or TIGERP) must be kept to a minimum to accurately resolve the difference. CEPXS/ONETRAN is a new deterministic coupled electron/photon transport code that is faster than Monte Carlo and is not subject to statistical error. QUICKE2 evaluates an analytical approximation and is also much less expensive to run than the Monte Carlo codes. The comparison of net yields is a sensitive test of the relative accuracy and efficiency of these various codes. We find that all of the codes except QUICKE2 substantially agree with the experiments for the forward net yields. Howver, for reverse net yields from high-Z materials, all the codes overpredict relative to measurements

Pemodelan Matematika Premi Tunggal Bersih Asuransi Unit Link Syariah

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nanang Supriadi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The exact risk factor can be managed by transferring the risk to the other party (in this case the insurance company. In this paper will be discussed more life insurance, as the development now there are types of insurance combined with investment, which is popular with the term Unit Link insurance. Unit link Syariah began to be launched as one of the fulfilment of the high needs of the community, the privilege of the product Unit of Islamic links is actually located in the elements of the laws in accordance with Islamic Syariah. The issues that will be discussed are how to get a single premium model of life insurance unit link Syariah with life insurance and investment fund allocation invested in investment product with a big interest rate of risk (financial approach and investment product with the value of return maximum (actuarial approach. The resulting model is then implemented in case of examples by comparing the two approaches to see the shortcomings and advantages of Unit link lifetime life insurance when compared to life insurance. The result obtained from this research is the benefit obtained from Unit-linked sharia insurance on average will be greater if compared with life insurance for life, maximum benefit will be obtained Insurance Unit Link of sharia using actuarial approach compared to financial, but benefit with a relative financial approach more stable than actuarial approaches that tend to fluctuate.

Biodiversity and human well-being: an essential link for sustainable development.

Science.gov (United States)

Naeem, Shahid; Chazdon, Robin; Duffy, J Emmett; Prager, Case; Worm, Boris

2016-12-14

As society strives to transition towards more sustainable development pathways, it is important to properly conceptualize the link between biodiversity (i.e. genes, traits, species and other dimensions) and human well-being (HWB; i.e. health, wealth, security and other dimensions). Here, we explore how published conceptual frameworks consider the extent to which the biodiversity-HWB links are being integrated into public discourse and scientific research and the implications of our findings for sustainable development. We find that our understanding has gradually evolved from seeing the value of biodiversity as an external commodity that may influence HWB to biodiversity as fundamental to HWB. Analysis of the literature trends indicates increasing engagement with the terms biodiversity, HWB and sustainable development in the public, science and policy spheres, but largely as independent rather than linked terms. We suggest that a consensus framework for sustainable development should include biodiversity explicitly as a suite of internal variables that both influence and are influenced by HWB. Doing so will enhance clarity and help shape coherent research and policy priorities. We further suggest that the absence of this link in development can inadvertently lead to a ratcheting down of biodiversity by otherwise well-meaning policies. Such biotic impoverishment could lock HWB at minimum levels or lead to its decline and halt or reverse progress in achieving sustainable development. © 2016 The Authors.

Biodiversity and human well-being: an essential link for sustainable development

Science.gov (United States)

Chazdon, Robin; Duffy, J. Emmett; Prager, Case; Worm, Boris

2016-01-01

As society strives to transition towards more sustainable development pathways, it is important to properly conceptualize the link between biodiversity (i.e. genes, traits, species and other dimensions) and human well-being (HWB; i.e. health, wealth, security and other dimensions). Here, we explore how published conceptual frameworks consider the extent to which the biodiversity–HWB links are being integrated into public discourse and scientific research and the implications of our findings for sustainable development. We find that our understanding has gradually evolved from seeing the value of biodiversity as an external commodity that may influence HWB to biodiversity as fundamental to HWB. Analysis of the literature trends indicates increasing engagement with the terms biodiversity, HWB and sustainable development in the public, science and policy spheres, but largely as independent rather than linked terms. We suggest that a consensus framework for sustainable development should include biodiversity explicitly as a suite of internal variables that both influence and are influenced by HWB. Doing so will enhance clarity and help shape coherent research and policy priorities. We further suggest that the absence of this link in development can inadvertently lead to a ratcheting down of biodiversity by otherwise well-meaning policies. Such biotic impoverishment could lock HWB at minimum levels or lead to its decline and halt or reverse progress in achieving sustainable development. PMID:27928039

Cooling towers - terms and definitions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-02-01

In the field of cooling tower construction and operation, the use of publications has shown that a systematic glossary has not yet been developed. Therefore a dictionary of the terms used in this field, together with their clear definitions, is urgently required. This work has been started by the V.I.K. (Association for the Industrial Power Economy) in Essen and completed by the VDI-Group 'Energy Engineering'. Because of the strong international links and the increasing overseas trade in this field also the corresponding terms in other languages, English, French and Spanish are included. As to make it possible to find the German terms and definitions when starting from a foreign language, alphabetical lists are included for the various languages giving the number of the corresponding German term. In such cases where the technical term used in the United States is not identical with the corresponding term used in the United Kingdom, both terms are included. (orig./HP) [de

Analysis of quick-count and exit-poll methods as a part of the public monitoring activities during the elections in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Y. Arabadjyiev

2015-09-01

As the practice of quick-count implementation shows, it is not only a quick method of voting results obtaining for their later comparison with the official results of the elections. The method also helps citizens to monitor the quality of the electoral process, regardless of the official government communications. It also allows you to evaluate the activities of bodies and institutions responsible for organizing elections during the voting, counting and processing.

Performance Analysis of Free-Space Optical Links Over Malaga (M) Turbulence Channels with Pointing Errors

KAUST Repository

Ansari, Imran Shafique

2015-08-12

In this work, we present a unified performance analysis of a free-space optical (FSO) link that accounts for pointing errors and both types of detection techniques (i.e. intensity modulation/direct detection (IM/DD) as well as heterodyne detection). More specifically, we present unified exact closedform expressions for the cumulative distribution function, the probability density function, the moment generating function, and the moments of the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a single link FSO transmission system, all in terms of the Meijer’s G function except for the moments that is in terms of simple elementary functions. We then capitalize on these unified results to offer unified exact closed-form expressions for various performance metrics of FSO link transmission systems, such as, the outage probability, the scintillation index (SI), the average error rate for binary and M-ary modulation schemes, and the ergodic capacity (except for IM/DD technique, where we present closed-form lower bound results), all in terms of Meijer’s G functions except for the SI that is in terms of simple elementary functions. Additionally, we derive the asymptotic results for all the expressions derived earlier in terms of Meijer’s G function in the high SNR regime in terms of simple elementary functions via an asymptotic expansion of the Meijer’s G function. We also derive new asymptotic expressions for the ergodic capacity in the low as well as high SNR regimes in terms of simple elementary functions via utilizing moments. All the presented results are verified via computer-based Monte-Carlo simulations.

Performance Analysis of Free-Space Optical Links Over Malaga (M) Turbulence Channels with Pointing Errors

KAUST Repository

Ansari, Imran Shafique; Yilmaz, Ferkan; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2015-01-01

In this work, we present a unified performance analysis of a free-space optical (FSO) link that accounts for pointing errors and both types of detection techniques (i.e. intensity modulation/direct detection (IM/DD) as well as heterodyne detection). More specifically, we present unified exact closedform expressions for the cumulative distribution function, the probability density function, the moment generating function, and the moments of the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a single link FSO transmission system, all in terms of the Meijer’s G function except for the moments that is in terms of simple elementary functions. We then capitalize on these unified results to offer unified exact closed-form expressions for various performance metrics of FSO link transmission systems, such as, the outage probability, the scintillation index (SI), the average error rate for binary and M-ary modulation schemes, and the ergodic capacity (except for IM/DD technique, where we present closed-form lower bound results), all in terms of Meijer’s G functions except for the SI that is in terms of simple elementary functions. Additionally, we derive the asymptotic results for all the expressions derived earlier in terms of Meijer’s G function in the high SNR regime in terms of simple elementary functions via an asymptotic expansion of the Meijer’s G function. We also derive new asymptotic expressions for the ergodic capacity in the low as well as high SNR regimes in terms of simple elementary functions via utilizing moments. All the presented results are verified via computer-based Monte-Carlo simulations.

Adaptive laser link reconfiguration using constraint propagation

Science.gov (United States)

Crone, M. S.; Julich, P. M.; Cook, L. M.

1993-01-01

This paper describes Harris AI research performed on the Adaptive Link Reconfiguration (ALR) study for Rome Lab, and focuses on the application of constraint propagation to the problem of link reconfiguration for the proposed space based Strategic Defense System (SDS) Brilliant Pebbles (BP) communications system. According to the concept of operations at the time of the study, laser communications will exist between BP's and to ground entry points. Long-term links typical of RF transmission will not exist. This study addressed an initial implementation of BP's based on the Global Protection Against Limited Strikes (GPALS) SDI mission. The number of satellites and rings studied was representative of this problem. An orbital dynamics program was used to generate line-of-site data for the modeled architecture. This was input into a discrete event simulation implemented in the Harris developed COnstraint Propagation Expert System (COPES) Shell, developed initially on the Rome Lab BM/C3 study. Using a model of the network and several heuristics, the COPES shell was used to develop the Heuristic Adaptive Link Ordering (HALO) Algorithm to rank and order potential laser links according to probability of communication. A reduced set of links based on this ranking would then be used by a routing algorithm to select the next hop. This paper includes an overview of Constraint Propagation as an Artificial Intelligence technique and its embodiment in the COPES shell. It describes the design and implementation of both the simulation of the GPALS BP network and the HALO algorithm in COPES. This is described using a 59 Data Flow Diagram, State Transition Diagrams, and Structured English PDL. It describes a laser communications model and the heuristics involved in rank-ordering the potential communication links. The generation of simulation data is described along with its interface via COPES to the Harris developed View Net graphical tool for visual analysis of communications

Linked data management

CERN Document Server

Hose, Katja; Schenkel, Ralf

2014-01-01

Linked Data Management presents techniques for querying and managing Linked Data that is available on today’s Web. The book shows how the abundance of Linked Data can serve as fertile ground for research and commercial applications. The text focuses on aspects of managing large-scale collections of Linked Data. It offers a detailed introduction to Linked Data and related standards, including the main principles distinguishing Linked Data from standard database technology. Chapters also describe how to generate links between datasets and explain the overall architecture of data integration systems based on Linked Data. A large part of the text is devoted to query processing in different setups. After presenting methods to publish relational data as Linked Data and efficient centralized processing, the book explores lookup-based, distributed, and parallel solutions. It then addresses advanced topics, such as reasoning, and discusses work related to read-write Linked Data for system interoperation. Desp...

S-LINK, a data link interface specification for the LHC era

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bij, H.C. van der; McLaren, R.A.; Boyle, O.

1996-01-01

In the Technical Proposals for ATLAS, CMS and ALICE there is a requirement for several thousand data links. Although there is an obvious need for standardization, this seems difficult to achieve as the links run at different speeds, over different distances and have various constraints of power consumption, size and radiation hardness. An additional complication is that today we cannot decide which will be the most cost effective technology for the implementation of the final links. Furthermore, we must allow designers of boards at each end of the link, for example readout electronics and input buffers, to work in parallel with the development of the links. The S-LINK is a new concept which should provide the benefits of standardization without the limitations. The S-LINK specification defines, at both ends of the link, a simple FIFO-like user interface which remains independent of the technology used to implement the physical link. The physical link provides transfer of event data and control words, error detection, optional flow control and test facilities. This paper describes the S-LINK specification and gives examples of the use of the S-LINK, the physical links being designed, and the test equipment that is being developed

LinkED: A Novel Methodology for Publishing Linked Enterprise Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shreyas Suresh Rao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Semantic Web technologies have redefined and strengthened the Enterprise-Web interoperability over the last decade. Linked Open Data (LOD refers to a set of best practices that empower enterprises to publish and interlink their data using existing ontologies on the World Wide Web. Current research in LOD focuses on expert search, the creation of unified information space and augmentation of core data from an enterprise context. However, existing approaches for publication of enterprise data as LOD are domain-specific, ad-hoc and suffer from lack of uniform representation across domains. The paper proposes a novel methodology called LinkED that contributes towards LOD literature in two ways: (a streamlines the publishing process through five stages of cleaning, triplification, interlinking, storage and visualization; (b addresses the latest challenges in LOD publication, namely: inadequate links, inconsistencies in the quality of the dataset and replicability of the LOD publication process. Further, the methodology is demonstrated via the publication of digital repository data as LOD in a university setting, which is evaluated based on two semantic standards: Five-Star model and data quality metrics. Overall, the paper provides a generic LOD publication process that is applicable across various domains such as healthcare, e-governance, banking, and tourism, to name a few.

Reinstatement of long-term memory following erasure of its behavioral and synaptic expression in Aplysia

OpenAIRE

Chen, Shanping; Cai, Diancai; Pearce, Kaycey; Sun, Philip Y-W; Roberts, Adam C; Glanzman, David L

2014-01-01

eLife digest Cells called neurons allow information to travel quickly around the body so that we can rapidly respond to any changes that we sense in our environment. This includes non-conscious reactions, such as the knee-jerk reflex in humans. Reflexes and other behaviors can be influenced by long-term memory, and it is thought that long-term memory is stored by changes in the synapses that connect neurons to each other. The reflexes of a sea slug known as Aplysia are often used to study mem...

Source term estimation based on in-situ gamma spectrometry using a high purity germanium detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pauly, J.; Rojas-Palma, C.; Sohier, A.

1997-06-01

An alternative method to reconstruct the source term of a nuclear accident is proposed. The technique discussed here involves the use of in-situ gamma spectrometry. The validation of the applied methodology has been possible through the monitoring of routine releases of Ar-41 originating at a Belgian site from an air cooled graphite research reactor. This technique provides a quick nuclide specific decomposition of the source term and therefore will be have an enormous potential if implemented in nuclear emergency preparedness and radiological assessments of nuclear accidents during the early phase

HealthLines: Quick Tips for Seasonal Health, Safety and Fun... "Ah, when the sun beats down…"

Science.gov (United States)

... Current Issue Past Issues HealthLines: Quick Tips for Seasonal Health, Safety and Fun Past Issues / Spring 2007 ... and protect against reflected UV radiation (from sand, water, or snow). UV radiation ... and stress fractures. Remember safety gear. Depending on the sport, ...

Quick Reaction Report on the Audit of the Army Contract with the University of Texas at Austin Institute for Advanced Technology

Science.gov (United States)

1992-10-27

Oct 27, 1992 Title: Audit Report Office Of The Inspector General: Quick Reaction Report On The Audit Of The Army Contract With The University Of Texas...ENGINEERING "INSPECTOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY SUBJECT: Quick-Reaction Report on the Audit of the Army Contract with the University of Texas...additional comments on Recommendation 3. by November 27, 1992. The courtesies extended to the audit staff are appreciated. If you have any questions on

Criteria for Quick and Consistent Synthesis of Poly(glycerol sebacate) for Tailored Mechanical Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xinda; Hong, Albert T-L; Naskar, Nilanjon; Chung, Hyun-Joong

2015-05-11

Poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) and its derivatives make up an attractive class of biomaterial owing to their tunable mechanical properties with programmable biodegradability. In practice, however, the application of PGS is often hampered by frequent inconsistency in reproducing process conditions. The inconsistency stems from the volatile nature of glycerol during the esterification process. In this study, we suggest that the degree of esterification (DE) can be used to predict precisely the physical status, the mechanical properties, and the degradation of the PGS materials. Young's modulus is shown to linearly increase with DE, which is in agreement with an entropic spring theory of rubbers. To provide a processing guideline for researchers, we also provide a physical status map as a function of curing temperature and time. The amount of glycerol loss, obtainable by monitoring the evolution of the total mass loss and the DE during synthesis, is shown to make the predictions even more precise. We expect that these strategies can be applicable to different categories of polymers that involve condensation polymerization with the volatility of the reactants. In addition, we demonstrate that microwave-assisted prepolymerization is a time- and energy-efficient pathway to obtain PGS. For example, 15 min of microwave time is shown to be as efficient as prepolymerization in nitrogen atmosphere for 6 h at 130 °C. The quick synthesis method, however, causes a severe evaporation of glycerol, resulting in a large distortion in the monomer ratio between glycerol and sebacic acid. Consequently, more rigid PGS is produced under a similar curing condition compared to the conventional prepolymerization method. Finally, we demonstrate that the addition of molecularly rigid cross-linking agents and network-structured inorganic nanoparticles are also effective in enhancing the mechanical properties of the PGS-derived materials.

Sex-linked dominant

Science.gov (United States)

Inheritance - sex-linked dominant; Genetics - sex-linked dominant; X-linked dominant; Y-linked dominant ... can be either an autosomal chromosome or a sex chromosome. It also depends on whether the trait ...

An analysis of flight Quick Access Recorder (QAR) data and its applications in preventing landing incidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Lei; Wu, Changxu; Sun, Ruishan

2014-01-01

A long landing is one type of flight incident that will multiply the risk of a runway excursion. It occurs frequently but receives little attention in research due to difficulty in obtaining the real flight data. The aim of this paper is to discover key flight parameter features of long landing incidents by analyzing Quick Access Recorder (QAR) data and put forward prevention measures from the perspective of pilot operation at the same time. First, 73 flight performance parameter variables and 4 operation parameter variables were defined, covering major landing stages from 1500 ft to touchdown. Then 128 cases of selected QAR data were divided into two groups according to the threshold of identifying normal and long landing. Second, each flight parameter variable of these 128 flights was compared between groups and then the logistic and linear regression models were developed respectively to further examine the links between touchdown distance and these flight parameter variables. Third, potential flight operation causing performance difference of long landing incidents was also analyzed. Finally results indicate that the period of 200 ft to touchdown is the key stage of landing and flare is the most critical operation affecting touchdown distance. It is suggested that the pilot should inspect the ratio of descent rate and groundspeed carefully at the height of 50 ft and pilot's faster and steady pulling up columns is probably helpful for an excellent flare and landing. The findings are expected to be applied into flight operation practice for further preventing long landing incidents and even the runway excursion accidents

Evidence of Quick-Clay Deposit at Kangerlussuaq, West Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ingeman-Nielsen, Thomas; Kirkelund, Gunvor Marie; Jørgensen, Anders Stuhr

2010-01-01

unnoticed in Greenland, but in this case the jökulhlaup propagated through a river basin which passes by the main international airport in Greenland. Due to the erosion of the riverbank during the jökulhlaup, several man-made structures were affected – roads disappeared and several storage facilities were...... eroded and destroyed by the river. In the wake of the catastrophic flood, a previously unknown permafrozen fingrained marine deposit was observed in the erosional bank of the river. Laboratory studies have proven this material to have extremely high sensitivity, with natural water content much higher...... than the liquid limit. The formation has been stabilized by the presence of permafrost in the area, but the combination of erosional energy supplied by the river and the sensitive properties of the material have resulted in quick thaw, destabilization and erosion of the formation. As an effect...

QuickEval: a web application for psychometric scaling experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Van Ngo, Khai; Storvik, Jehans J.; Dokkeberg, Christopher A.; Farup, Ivar; Pedersen, Marius

2015-01-01

QuickEval is a web application for carrying out psychometric scaling experiments. It offers the possibility of running controlled experiments in a laboratory, or large scale experiment over the web for people all over the world. It is a unique one of a kind web application, and it is a software needed in the image quality field. It is also, to the best of knowledge, the first software that supports the three most common scaling methods; paired comparison, rank order, and category judgement. It is also the first software to support rank order. Hopefully, a side effect of this newly created software is that it will lower the threshold to perform psychometric experiments, improve the quality of the experiments being carried out, make it easier to reproduce experiments, and increase research on image quality both in academia and industry. The web application is available at www.colourlab.no/quickeval.

Simple method for quick estimation of aquifer hydrogeological parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, C.; Li, Y. Y.

2017-08-01

Development of simple and accurate methods to determine the aquifer hydrogeological parameters was of importance for groundwater resources assessment and management. Aiming at the present issue of estimating aquifer parameters based on some data of the unsteady pumping test, a fitting function of Theis well function was proposed using fitting optimization method and then a unitary linear regression equation was established. The aquifer parameters could be obtained by solving coefficients of the regression equation. The application of the proposed method was illustrated, using two published data sets. By the error statistics and analysis on the pumping drawdown, it showed that the method proposed in this paper yielded quick and accurate estimates of the aquifer parameters. The proposed method could reliably identify the aquifer parameters from long distance observed drawdowns and early drawdowns. It was hoped that the proposed method in this paper would be helpful for practicing hydrogeologists and hydrologists.

Optimizing link efficiency for gated DPCCH transmission on HSUPA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zarco, Carlos Ruben Delgado; Wigard, Jeroen; Kolding, T. E.

2007-01-01

consider the E-DCH performance degradation caused by gating on other radio procedures relying on the DPCCH, such as inner and outer loop power control. Our studies show that gating is beneficial for both for 2 and 10 ms transmission time intervals. The gains in terms of LE with a Vehicular A 30 kmph......To minimize the terminal's transmission power in bursty uplink traffic conditions, the evolved High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) concept in 3GPP WCDMA includes a feature known as Dedicated Physical Control Channel (DPCCH) gating. We present here a detailed link level study of gating from...... a link efficiency (LE) perspective; LE being expressed in bits per second per Watt. While the overall gain mechanisms of gating are well known, we show how special challenges related to discontinuous Enhanced Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) transmission can be addressed for high link and system performance. We...

Land cover mapping and change detection in urban watersheds using QuickBird high spatial resolution satellite imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Hester, David Barry

The objective of this research was to develop methods for urban land cover analysis using QuickBird high spatial resolution satellite imagery. Such imagery has emerged as a rich commercially available remote sensing data source and has enjoyed high-profile broadcast news media and Internet applications, but methods of quantitative analysis have not been thoroughly explored. The research described here consists of three studies focused on the use of pan-sharpened 61-cm spatial resolution QuickBird imagery, the spatial resolution of which is the highest of any commercial satellite. In the first study, a per-pixel land cover classification method is developed for use with this imagery. This method utilizes a per-pixel classification approach to generate an accurate six-category high spatial resolution land cover map of a developing suburban area. The primary objective of the second study was to develop an accurate land cover change detection method for use with QuickBird land cover products. This work presents an efficient fuzzy framework for transforming map uncertainty into accurate and meaningful high spatial resolution land cover change analysis. The third study described here is an urban planning application of the high spatial resolution QuickBird-based land cover product developed in the first study. This work both meaningfully connects this exciting new data source to urban watershed management and makes an important empirical contribution to the study of suburban watersheds. Its analysis of residential roads and driveways as well as retail parking lots sheds valuable light on the impact of transportation-related land use on the suburban landscape. Broadly, these studies provide new methods for using state-of-the-art remote sensing data to inform land cover analysis and urban planning. These methods are widely adaptable and produce land cover products that are both meaningful and accurate. As additional high spatial resolution satellites are launched and the

Handbook for quick cost estimates. A method for developing quick approximate estimates of costs for generic actions for nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ball, J.R.

1986-04-01

This document is a supplement to a ''Handbook for Cost Estimating'' (NUREG/CR-3971) and provides specific guidance for developing ''quick'' approximate estimates of the cost of implementing generic regulatory requirements for nuclear power plants. A method is presented for relating the known construction costs for new nuclear power plants (as contained in the Energy Economic Data Base) to the cost of performing similar work, on a back-fit basis, at existing plants. Cost factors are presented to account for variations in such important cost areas as construction labor productivity, engineering and quality assurance, replacement energy, reworking of existing features, and regional variations in the cost of materials and labor. Other cost categories addressed in this handbook include those for changes in plant operating personnel and plant documents, licensee costs, NRC costs, and costs for other government agencies. Data sheets, worksheets, and appropriate cost algorithms are included to guide the user through preparation of rough estimates. A sample estimate is prepared using the method and the estimating tools provided.

Handbook for quick cost estimates. A method for developing quick approximate estimates of costs for generic actions for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ball, J.R.

1986-04-01

This document is a supplement to a ''Handbook for Cost Estimating'' (NUREG/CR-3971) and provides specific guidance for developing ''quick'' approximate estimates of the cost of implementing generic regulatory requirements for nuclear power plants. A method is presented for relating the known construction costs for new nuclear power plants (as contained in the Energy Economic Data Base) to the cost of performing similar work, on a back-fit basis, at existing plants. Cost factors are presented to account for variations in such important cost areas as construction labor productivity, engineering and quality assurance, replacement energy, reworking of existing features, and regional variations in the cost of materials and labor. Other cost categories addressed in this handbook include those for changes in plant operating personnel and plant documents, licensee costs, NRC costs, and costs for other government agencies. Data sheets, worksheets, and appropriate cost algorithms are included to guide the user through preparation of rough estimates. A sample estimate is prepared using the method and the estimating tools provided

Improving Power System Modeling. A Tool to Link Capacity Expansion and Production Cost Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diakov, Victor [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Cole, Wesley [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Sullivan, Patrick [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Brinkman, Gregory [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Margolis, Robert [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2015-11-01

Capacity expansion models (CEM) provide a high-level long-term view at the prospects of the evolving power system. In simulating the possibilities of long-term capacity expansion, it is important to maintain the viability of power system operation in the short-term (daily, hourly and sub-hourly) scales. Production-cost models (PCM) simulate routine power system operation on these shorter time scales using detailed load, transmission and generation fleet data by minimizing production costs and following reliability requirements. When based on CEM 'predictions' about generating unit retirements and buildup, PCM provide more detailed simulation for the short-term system operation and, consequently, may confirm the validity of capacity expansion predictions. Further, production cost model simulations of a system that is based on capacity expansion model solution are 'evolutionary' sound: the generator mix is the result of logical sequence of unit retirement and buildup resulting from policy and incentives. The above has motivated us to bridge CEM with PCM by building a capacity expansion - to - production cost model Linking Tool (CEPCoLT). The Linking Tool is built to onset capacity expansion model prescriptions onto production cost model inputs. NREL's ReEDS and Energy Examplar's PLEXOS are the capacity expansion and the production cost models, respectively. Via the Linking Tool, PLEXOS provides details of operation for the regionally-defined ReEDS scenarios.

Common SIDS and SUID Terms and Definitions

Science.gov (United States)

... media links Common SIDS and SUID Terms and Definitions Page Content Health care providers and others may ... NICHD Home Accessibility NICHD Contact Disclaimer NICHD Accounts: Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health ® ...

Integrating Environmental and Socio-Economic Indicators of a Linked Catchment-Coastal System Using Variable Environmental Intensity

Science.gov (United States)

Dymond, John R.; Davie, Tim J. A.; Fenemor, Andrew D.; Ekanayake, Jagath C.; Knight, Ben R.; Cole, Anthony O.; de Oca Munguia, Oscar Montes; Allen, Will J.; Young, Roger G.; Basher, Les R.; Dresser, Marc; Batstone, Chris J.

2010-09-01

Can we develop land use policy that balances the conflicting views of stakeholders in a catchment while moving toward long term sustainability? Adaptive management provides a strategy for this whereby measures of catchment performance are compared against performance goals in order to progressively improve policy. However, the feedback loop of adaptive management is often slow and irreversible impacts may result before policy has been adapted. In contrast, integrated modelling of future land use policy provides rapid feedback and potentially improves the chance of avoiding unwanted collapse events. Replacing measures of catchment performance with modelled catchment performance has usually required the dynamic linking of many models, both biophysical and socio-economic—and this requires much effort in software development. As an alternative, we propose the use of variable environmental intensity (defined as the ratio of environmental impact over economic output) in a loose coupling of models to provide a sufficient level of integration while avoiding significant effort required for software development. This model construct was applied to the Motueka Catchment of New Zealand where several biophysical (riverine water quantity, sediment, E. coli faecal bacteria, trout numbers, nitrogen transport, marine productivity) models, a socio-economic (gross output, gross margin, job numbers) model, and an agent-based model were linked. An extreme set of land use scenarios (historic, present, and intensive) were applied to this modelling framework. Results suggest that the catchment is presently in a near optimal land use configuration that is unlikely to benefit from further intensification. This would quickly put stress on water quantity (at low flow) and water quality ( E. coli). To date, this model evaluation is based on a theoretical test that explores the logical implications of intensification at an unlikely extreme in order to assess the implications of likely growth

Epigenetic programming at the Mogat1 locus may link neonatal overnutrition with long-term hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramon-Krauel, Marta; Pentinat, Thais; Bloks, Vincent W; Cebrià, Judith; Ribo, Silvia; Pérez-Wienese, Ricky; Vilà, Maria; Palacios-Marin, Ivonne; Fernández-Pérez, Antonio; Vallejo, Mario; Téllez, Noèlia; Rodríguez, Miguel Àngel; Yanes, Oscar; Lerin, Carles; Díaz, Rubén; Plosch, Torsten; Tietge, Uwe J F; Jimenez-Chillaron, Josep C

2018-05-29

Postnatal overfeeding increases the risk of chronic diseases later in life, including obesity, insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and type 2 diabetes. Epigenetic mechanisms might underlie the long-lasting effects associated with early nutrition. Here we aimed to explore the molecular pathways involved in early development of insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis, and we examined the potential contribution of DNA methylation and histone modifications to long-term programming of metabolic disease. We used a well-characterized mouse model of neonatal overfeeding and early adiposity by litter size reduction. Neonatal overfeeding led to hepatic insulin resistance very early in life that persisted throughout adulthood despite normalizing food intake. Up-regulation of monoacylglycerol O-acyltransferase ( Mogat) 1 conceivably mediates hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance through increasing intracellular diacylglycerol content. Early and sustained deregulation of Mogat1 was associated with a combination of histone modifications that might favor Mogat1 expression. In sum, postnatal overfeeding causes extremely rapid derangements of hepatic insulin sensitivity that remain relatively stable until adulthood. Epigenetic mechanisms, particularly histone modifications, could contribute to such long-lasting effects. Our data suggest that targeting hepatic monoacylglycerol acyltransferase activity during early life might provide a novel strategy to improve hepatic insulin sensitivity and prevent late-onset insulin resistance and fatty liver disease.-Ramon-Krauel, M., Pentinat, T., Bloks, V. W., Cebrià, J., Ribo, S., Pérez-Wienese, R., Vilà, M., Palacios-Marin, I., Fernández-Pérez, A., Vallejo, M., Téllez, N., Rodríguez, M. À., Yanes, O., Lerin, C., Díaz, R., Plosch, T., Tietge, U. J. F., Jimenez-Chillaron, J. C. Epigenetic programming at the Mogat1 locus may link neonatal overnutrition with long-term hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance.

The application of Quick Response Manufacturing practices in Brazil, Europe, and the USA : An exploratory study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Godinho Filho, Moacir; Marchesini, Antonio Gilberto; Riezebos, Jan; Vandaele, Nico; Devos Ganga, Gilberto Miller

2017-01-01

This research investigates the application of Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) practices by enterprises in Brazil, Europe, and the USA. QRM is a management concept that focuses on time as the key factor in competitive manufacturing, particularly in customer-oriented Engineer and Make to Order

Budget Cuts: Financial Aid Offices Face Budget Cuts and Increasing Workload. Quick Scan Survey Results

Science.gov (United States)

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NJ1), 2010

2010-01-01

The majority of college financial aid offices have seen cuts to their operating budgets this year compared to the 2007-08 academic year when the recession began, according to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrator's latest QuickScan Survey. Sixty-two percent of financial aid offices reported operating budget cuts this year…

Legal barriers in accessing opioid medicines: results of the ATOME quick scan of national legislation of eastern European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Vranken, Marjolein J M; Mantel-Teeuwisse, Aukje K; Jünger, Saskia; Radbruch, Lukas; Lisman, John; Scholten, Willem; Payne, Sheila; Lynch, Tom; Schutjens, Marie-Hélène D B

2014-12-01

Overregulation of controlled medicines is one of the factors contributing to limited access to opioid medicines. The purpose of this study was to identify legal barriers to access to opioid medicines in 12 Eastern European countries participating in the Access to Opioid Medication in Europa project, using a quick scan method. A quick scan method to identify legal barriers was developed focusing on eight different categories of barriers. Key experts in 12 European countries were requested to send relevant legislation. Legislation was quick scanned using World Health Organization guidelines. Overly restrictive provisions and provisions that contain stigmatizing language and incorrect definitions were identified. The selected provisions were scored into two categories: 1) barrier and 2) uncertain, and reviewed by two authors. A barrier was recorded if both authors agreed the selected provision to be a barrier (Category 1). National legislation was obtained from 11 of 12 countries. All 11 countries showed legal barriers in the areas of prescribing (most frequently observed barrier). Ten countries showed barriers in the areas of dispensing and showed stigmatizing language and incorrect use of definitions in their legislation. Most barriers were identified in the legislation of Bulgaria, Greece, Lithuania, Serbia, and Slovenia. The Cypriot legislation showed the fewest total number of barriers. The selected countries have in common as main barriers prescribing and dispensing restrictions, the use of stigmatizing language, and incorrect use of definitions. The practical impact of these barriers identified using a quick scan method needs to be validated by other means. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rich-burn, flame-assisted fuel cell, quick-mix, lean-burn (RFQL) combustor and power generation

Science.gov (United States)

Milcarek, Ryan J.; Ahn, Jeongmin

2018-03-01

Micro-tubular flame-assisted fuel cells (mT-FFC) were recently proposed as a modified version of the direct flame fuel cell (DFFC) operating in a dual chamber configuration. In this work, a rich-burn, quick-mix, lean-burn (RQL) combustor is combined with a micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell (mT-SOFC) stack to create a rich-burn, flame-assisted fuel cell, quick-mix, lean-burn (RFQL) combustor and power generation system. The system is tested for rapid startup and achieves peak power densities after only 35 min of testing. The mT-FFC power density and voltage are affected by changes in the fuel-lean and fuel-rich combustion equivalence ratio. Optimal mT-FFC performance favors high fuel-rich equivalence ratios and a fuel-lean combustion equivalence ratio around 0.80. The electrical efficiency increases by 150% by using an intermediate temperature cathode material and improving the insulation. The RFQL combustor and power generation system achieves rapid startup, a simplified balance of plant and may have applications for reduced NOx formation and combined heat and power.

Bifunctional alkylating agent-mediated MGMT-DNA cross-linking and its proteolytic cleavage in 16HBE cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Jin; Ye, Feng; Dan, Guorong; Zhao, Yuanpeng; Wang, Bin; Zhao, Jiqing; Sai, Yan; Zou, Zhongmin

2016-01-01

Nitrogen mustard (NM), a bifunctional alkylating agent (BAA), contains two alkyl arms and can act as a cross-linking bridge between DNA and protein to form a DNA-protein cross-link (DPC). O 6 -methylguanine–DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), a DNA repair enzyme for alkyl adducts removal, is found to enhance cell sensitivity to BAAs and to promote damage, possibly due to its stable covalent cross-linking with DNA mediated by BAAs. To investigate MGMT-DNA cross-link (mDPC) formation and its possible dual roles in NM exposure, human bronchial epithelial cell line 16HBE was subjected to different concentrations of HN2, a kind of NM, and we found mDPC was induced by HN2 in a concentration-dependent manner, but the mRNA and total protein of MGMT were suppressed. As early as 1 h after HN2 treatment, high mDPC was achieved and the level maintained for up to 24 h. Quick total DPC (tDPC) and γ-H2AX accumulation were observed. To evaluate the effect of newly predicted protease DVC1 on DPC cleavage, we applied siRNA of MGMT and DVC1, MG132 (proteasome inhibitor), and NMS-873 (p97 inhibitor) and found that proteolysis plays a role. DVC1 was proven to be more important in the cleavage of mDPC than tDPC in a p97-dependent manner. HN2 exposure induced DVC1 upregulation, which was at least partially contributed to MGMT cleavage by proteolysis because HN2-induced mDPC level and DNA damage was closely related with DVC1 expression. Homologous recombination (HR) was also activated. Our findings demonstrated that MGMT might turn into a DNA damage promoter by forming DPC when exposed to HN2. Proteolysis, especially DVC1, plays a crucial role in mDPC repair. - Highlights: • Nitrogen mustard-induced MGMT-DNA cross-linking was detected in a living cell. • Concentration- and time-dependent manners of MGMT-DNA cross-linking were revealed. • Proteolysis played an important role in protein (MGMT)-DNA cross-linking repair. • DVC1 acts as a proteolytic enzyme in cross-linking repair in a p

Quickly Planning TF/TA2 Trajectory by Artificial Immune Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LIU Lifeng

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Flight path planning by artificial immune algorithm approach met the requirements of aircraft's flyability and operation is proposed for the problem of single and double TF/TA2 flight path planning. Punishment function (affinity function with comprehensive 3D threat information is designed. A comprehensive threat model is formed including dynamic and static threats and no-fly-zone. Accordingly, single and dual flight paths are planned by AIA, which have been compared with the paths by GA. The results show that, GA's planned a quick and longer path compared under simple threat environment; in complex environments, GA has high failure rate (greater than 95% for single aircraft, but it is failed for double aircrafts. For the single and double aircrafts, AIA can provides one optimal and more candidate optimal flight paths.

Development of High-Speed, Low-fixed Latency Serial Links for the Router of ATLAS NSW sTGC Detector

CERN Document Server

Hu, Xueye; The ATLAS collaboration

2014-01-01

The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) needs to be upgraded in order to cope with the increased luminosity and particle rates expected for the High Luminosity LHC (HL­LHC) running. Part of the phase­1 upgrade, to be done in the 2018/19 shutdown, is the replacement of the present muon forward detector (wheel) by a new detector, the so called New Small Wheel (NSW). The NSW detector consists of two detector technologies and the work here is on the small­strip Thin­Gap Chambers (sTGC). For sTGC, it requires very high­speed electronic triggering of signal events. The data must be quickly digitized, serialized, and transmitted off­detector for computer processing. The serialized data is sent to the trigger processor through a routing system that serves as a switchyard for all active signals. Design requirements on the router are low latency and stable/predictable data transfer timing with high­speed serial links (4.8 Gbps). We describe a 4.8 Gbps (maximum 6.6 Gbps) serial link structure base...

Informing the Long-Term Learner Model: Motivating the Adult Learner (Phase 1)

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-28

memory systems: 1) short - term memory , 2) working memory , and 3) long - term memory . The short - term memory stores the information for brief periods of...and the episodic buffer, which is linked to long - term memory . The visual working memory shares parts and interacts with attention (Gazzaley and...Nobre 2012; Zanto et al. 2011). Short - term memory is limited in its importance to

Performance Analysis of FSO Links over Unified Gamma-Gamma Turbulence Channels

KAUST Repository

Ansari, Imran Shafique

2015-05-01

In this work, we present a unified performance analysis of a free-space optical (FSO) link that accounts for pointing errors and both types of detection techniques (i.e. intensity modulation/direct detection as well as heterodyne detection). We, then, present unified exact closed-form expressions for various statistical characteristics of the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a single link FSO transmission system. We capitalize on these unified results to offer unified exact closed-form expressions for various performance metrics. Additionally, we derive the asymptotic results for all the expressions derived earlier in the high SNR regime in terms of simple elementary functions. We also derive new asymptotic expressions for the ergodic capacity in the low as well as high SNR regimes in terms of simple elementary functions via utilizing moments. All the presented results are verified via computer-based Monte-Carlo simulations. © 2015 IEEE.

Multiband Carrierless Amplitude Phase Modulation for High Capacity Optical Data Links

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iglesias Olmedo, Miguel; Zuo, Tianjian; Jensen, Jesper Bevensee

2014-01-01

. The reported experiment uses MultiCAP to achieve 102.4 Gb/s transmission, corresponding to a data payload of 95.2 Gb/s error free transmission by using a 7% forward error correction (FEC) code. The signal is successfully recovered after 15 km of standard single mode fiber (SSMF) in a system limited by a 3 d......Short range optical data links are experiencing bandwidth limitations making it very challenging to cope with the growing data transmission capacity demands. Parallel optics appears as a valid short-term solution. It is, however, not a viable solution in the long-term because of its complex optical...... packaging. Therefore, increasing effort is now put into the possibility of exploiting higher order modulation formats with increased spectral efficiency and reduced optical transceiver complexity. As these type of links are based on intensity modulation and direct detection, modulation formats relying...

Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT) Cloud/Virtual Open Campus Quick Start Guide (Revision 1)

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

ARL-CR-0816 ● JUNE 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT) Cloud/Virtual Open...to the originator. ARL-CR-0816 ● JUNE 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT...January 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT) Cloud/Virtual Open Campus Quick-Start Guide (Revision 1

Quick evaluation of the neutron dose following a criticality accident by measurement of sodium 24 activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabardel, R.; Ricourt, A.; Parmentier, N.

1984-07-01

In order to quickly sort out the irradiated individuals following a criticality accident, the neutron dose can be evaluated quickly by measuring the sodium-24 activity induced in the human body. The report supplies the information necessary for this evaluation from the response of various detectors of current use in radiation protection. The first part describes the method of evaluation of sodium-24 activity (A) given by the reading (M) of each instrument. The second part describes the method of kerma evaluation from the measured sodium-24 activity. The third part is an experimental application of the method of kerma evaluation from the sodium-24 activity measured in a phantom irradiated in the SILENE reactor flux. The results given by radiation protection instruments are in good agreement with the calculated values for a front exposure and demonstrate the usefulness of measuring the induced sodium-24 activity by radiation protection instruments of current use [fr

Link Investigation of IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless Sensor Networks in Forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Xingjian; Sun, Guodong; Yang, Gaoxiang; Shang, Xinna

2016-06-27

Wireless sensor networks are expected to automatically monitor the ecological evolution and wildlife habits in forests. Low-power links (transceivers) are often adopted in wireless sensor network applications, in order to save the precious sensor energy and then achieve long-term, unattended monitoring. Recent research has presented some performance characteristics of such low-power wireless links under laboratory or outdoor scenarios with less obstacles, and they have found that low-power wireless links are unreliable and prone to be affected by the target environment. However, there is still less understanding about how well the low-power wireless link performs in real-world forests and to what extent the complex in-forest surrounding environments affect the link performances. In this paper, we empirically evaluate the low-power links of wireless sensors in three typical different forest environments. Our experiment investigates the performance of the link layer compatible with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and analyzes the variation patterns of the packet reception ratio (PRR), the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and the link quality indicator (LQI) under diverse experimental settings. Some observations of this study are inconsistent with or even contradict prior results that are achieved in open fields or relatively clean environments and thus, provide new insights both into effectively evaluating the low-power wireless links and into efficiently deploying wireless sensor network systems in forest environments.

A geochemical modelling study of the evolution of the chemical composition of seawater linked to a "snowball" glaciation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Le Hir

2008-02-01

Full Text Available The Snowball Earth theory initially proposed by Kirschvink (1992 to explain the Neoproterozoic glacial episodes, suggested that the Earth was fully ice-covered at 720 Ma (Sturtian episode and 640 Ma (Marinoan episode. This succession of extreme climatic crises induced environmental perturbations which are considered as a strong selective pressure on the evolution of life (Hoffman et al., 1998. Using a numerical model of carbon-alkalinity global cycles, we quantify environmental stresses caused by a global glaciation. According to our results, we suggest that during global glaciations, the ocean becomes acidic (pH~6, and undersaturated with respect to carbonate minerals. Moreover the quick transition from ice-house to greenhouse conditions implies an abrupt and large shift of the oceanic surface temperature which causes an extended hypoxia. The intense continental weathering, in the aftermath of the glaciation, deeply affects the seawater composition inducing rapid changes in terms of pH and alkalinity. We also propose a new timing for post glacial perturbations and for the cap carbonates deposition, ~2 Myr instead of 200 kyr as suggested in a previous modelling study. In terms of Precambrian life sustainability, seawater pH modifications appear drastic all along the glaciation, but we suggest that the buffering action of the oceanic crust dissolution avoids a total collapse of biological productivity. But short-lived and large post-glacial perturbations are more critical and may have played the role of an environmental filter proposed in the classic snowball Earth theory. Although the link between environmental changes and life sustainability cannot be modelled accurately, we suggest that only a permissive life (Knoll, 2003 may explain the relative continuity in microfossils diversity observed before, during and after Neoproterozoic glaciation events.

Quick starting contraception after emergency contraception: have clinical guidelines made a difference?

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, Janine; Craik, Julie; Melvin, Louise

2014-07-01

When initiating contraception after emergency contraception (EC), conventional practice had been to wait until the next menses. Since 2010, UK guidelines have endorsed quick starting (QS) contraception, namely offering immediate start when requested. We conducted an audit to assess clinical practice before and after QS guidance publication. A full cycle audit was performed on the clinical notes of women requesting EC during two 2-month periods in 2010 and 2011 in an Integrated Sexual Health Service. All case notes were identified using the National Sexual Health database of sexual health records (Scotland). Information was collated and interpreted using Microsoft Excel and SPSS V.17. During January and February 2010 and 2011, 190 and 180 women, respectively, attended for EC, of whom 96 and 97 were identified as potential quick starters. Between 2010 and 2011, a statistically significant increase in QS practice was noted from 20.8% (n=20) to 37.1% (n=36) (p=0.011), with a corresponding decrease in the percentage of women traditionally started on hormonal contraception (HC): 24% (n=23) and 14.6% (n=14), respectively. There was also a decrease in those advised to return for commencement of HC [55.2% (n=53) vs 49% (n=47)]. Of those advised to return, 26.4% (n=14) and 31.9% (n=15) had no further contact with the service within at least 6 months. QS practice increased after the introduction of clinical guidelines. However, overall provision of HC remained low, with only around half of women prescribed a hormonal method. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited.

Proposals for Protection of Return Cables on SwePol Link

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tadeusz Szczepański

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The return cable on the SwePol Link has been introduced as an alternative forced by environmentalists due to lack of social acceptance of other solutions. This is why in the proposed solution water and earth have been replaced by two return cables, although from a technical point of view such a solution is less effective. The last, eleventh fault of the return cable took place on 15 October 2012. In eight earlier cases the faults were caused by electrical failures in the cable in the sea and were located between ten and twenty kilometers from the Polish shore and triggered by disturbances in the northern part of the Polish power grid. In this situation it has been suggested to analyze and introduce one or two solutions shown below which may significantly limit the effects and lower the costs caused by return cable faults: a assembly of additional surge arresters b return to electrodes – lack of return cables c ”partial” electrodes working with one return cable d operation of the link only with earthings on converter stations. To sum up it needs to be stated that: • a relatively cheap way of protecting return cables against electrical failures is installing surge arresters in the cabinet located next to the cable container on the Polish shore • from the suggested preventive measures it seems reasonable to introduce the above mentioned solutions a and d simultaneously, as both of them are simple solutions which require neither considerable financial expenditure nor authorizations and may quickly show the expected results.

Hollow Mill for Extraction of Stripped Titanium Screws: An Easy, Quick, and Safe Technique

OpenAIRE

Gupta, Ravi; Singh, Harpreet; Singh, Amit; Garg, Sudhir

2014-01-01

Removal of jammed titanium screws can be difficult due to the problem of stripping of the hexagonal heads of the screws. We present a technique of extraction of stripped screws with the use of a standard 4.5 mm stainless steel hollow mill in a patient of peri-implant fracture of the radius fixed with a titanium locking plate 2 years back. The technique is quick, safe, and cost effective.

Deploying Linked Open Vocabulary (LOV to Enhance Library Linked Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oh, Sam Gyun

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Since the advent of Linked Data (LD as a method for building webs of data, there have been many attempts to apply and implement LD in various settings. Efforts have been made to convert bibliographic data in libraries into Linked Data, thereby generating Library Linked Data (LLD. However, when memory institutions have tried to link their data with external sources based on principles suggested by Tim Berners-Lee, identifying appropriate vocabularies for use in describing their bibliographic data has proved challenging. The objective of this paper is to discuss the potential role of Linked Open Vocabularies (LOV in providing better access to various open datasets and facilitating effective linking. The paper will also examine the ways in which memory institutions can utilize LOV to enhance the quality of LLD and LLD-based ontology design.

Quick monitoring of pozzolanic reactivity of waste ashes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinthaworn, Suppachai; Nimityongskul, Pichai

2009-05-01

This article proposes a quick method of monitoring for pozzolanic reactivity of waste ashes by investigating the electrical conductivity of the suspension at an elevated temperature. This suspension is obtained by mixing tested pozzolan with an ordinary Portland cement (OPC) solution produced by mixing ordinary Portland cement with water. For comparison, silica fume, metakaolin, rice husk ash and river sand - whose pozzolanic reactivities range from reactive to inert - were used in the experimental investigation. The electrical conductivity of the suspension was continually recorded by using an electrical conductivity meter and stored by using a personal computer for a period of slightly over 1day. The indicative parameters that can be related to pozzolanic reactivity were discussed and analyzed in detail. It was found that it is possible to determine the pozzolanic reactivity of fly ash within 28h by using the proposed technique, as compared to 7 or 28 days for the determination of strength activity index according to ASTM. This technique would help concrete technologists to speedily investigate the quality of fly ash for use as a cement replacement in order to alleviate pollution caused by cement production and solve disposal problems of waste ashes.

Mid-term periodicities and heliospheric modulation of coronal index ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

PRITHVI RAJ SINGH

2018-03-06

Mar 6, 2018 ... long-term periodicity of ∼11 years, with different solar activities. The physical processes that occur inside the. Sun are reflected by a periodic character in terms of coronal index of coronal emission (Fe XIV 530.3 nm) during solar activity cycles. Recently, a link between the strength of photospheric magnetic ...

A voltage control method for an active capacitive DC-link module with series-connected circuit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Haoran; Wang, Huai; Blaabjerg, Frede

2017-01-01

Many efforts have been made to improve the performance of power electronic systems with active capacitive DC-link module in terms of power density as well as reliability. One of the attractive solution is an active capacitive DC-link with the series-connected circuit because of handling small......-rated power. However, in the existing control method of this circuit, the DC-link current of the backward-stage or forward-stage need to be sensed for extracting the ripple components, which limits the flexibility of the active DC-link module. Thus, in this paper, a voltage control method of an active...... capacitive DC-link module is proposed. Current sensor at the DC-link will be cancel from the circuit. The controller of the series-connected circuit requires internal voltage signals of the DC-link module only, making it possible to be fully independent without any additional connection to the main circuit...

Rolling Deck to Repository (R2R): Linking and Integrating Data for Oceanographic Research

Science.gov (United States)

Arko, R. A.; Chandler, C. L.; Clark, P. D.; Shepherd, A.; Moore, C.

2012-12-01

The Rolling Deck to Repository (R2R) program is developing infrastructure to ensure the underway sensor data from NSF-supported oceanographic research vessels are routinely and consistently documented, preserved in long-term archives, and disseminated to the science community. We have published the entire R2R Catalog as a Linked Data collection, making it easily accessible to encourage linking and integration with data at other repositories. We are developing the R2R Linked Data collection with specific goals in mind: 1.) We facilitate data access and reuse by providing the richest possible collection of resources to describe vessels, cruises, instruments, and datasets from the U.S. academic fleet, including data quality assessment results and clean trackline navigation. We are leveraging or adopting existing community-standard concepts and vocabularies, particularly concepts from the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO) ontology and terms from the pan-European SeaDataNet vocabularies, and continually re-publish resources as new concepts and terms are mapped. 2.) We facilitate data citation through the entire data lifecycle from field acquisition to shoreside archiving to (ultimately) global syntheses and journal articles. We are implementing globally unique and persistent identifiers at the collection, dataset, and granule levels, and encoding these citable identifiers directly into the Linked Data resources. 3.) We facilitate linking and integration with other repositories that publish Linked Data collections for the U.S. academic fleet, such as BCO-DMO and the Index to Marine and Lacustrine Geological Samples (IMLGS). We are initially mapping datasets at the resource level, and plan to eventually implement rule-based mapping at the concept level. We work collaboratively with partner repositories to develop best practices for URI patterns and consensus on shared vocabularies. The R2R Linked Data collection is implemented as a

Quick-Reaction Report on the Audit of the Army Contract with the University of Texas at Austin Institute for Advanced Technology

Science.gov (United States)

1992-10-27

AD-A27O 238 T Of DTIC ELECTE 8OCT 06 1993 E O F F ICE OF THE 1NSPECTOR GENERAL QUICK REAC.7ION REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF THE ARMY CONTRACT WITH THE...ENGINEERING INSPECTOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF TH, ARMY SUBJECT: Quick-Reaction Report on the Audit of the Army Contract with the University of Texas at Austin...comments on Recommendation 3. by November 27, 1992. The courtesies extended to the audit staff are appreciated. If you have any questions on this final

Demolishing the Competition: The Longitudinal Link between Competitive Video Games, Competitive Gambling, and Aggression

Science.gov (United States)

Adachi, Paul J. C.; Willoughby, Teena

2013-01-01

The majority of research on the link between video games and aggression has focused on the violent content in games. In contrast, recent experimental research suggests that it is video game competition, not violence, that has the greatest effect on aggression in the short-term. However, no researchers have examined the long-term relationship…

QuickNGS elevates Next-Generation Sequencing data analysis to a new level of automation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagle, Prerana; Nikolić, Miloš; Frommolt, Peter

2015-07-01

Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) has emerged as a widely used tool in molecular biology. While time and cost for the sequencing itself are decreasing, the analysis of the massive amounts of data remains challenging. Since multiple algorithmic approaches for the basic data analysis have been developed, there is now an increasing need to efficiently use these tools to obtain results in reasonable time. We have developed QuickNGS, a new workflow system for laboratories with the need to analyze data from multiple NGS projects at a time. QuickNGS takes advantage of parallel computing resources, a comprehensive back-end database, and a careful selection of previously published algorithmic approaches to build fully automated data analysis workflows. We demonstrate the efficiency of our new software by a comprehensive analysis of 10 RNA-Seq samples which we can finish in only a few minutes of hands-on time. The approach we have taken is suitable to process even much larger numbers of samples and multiple projects at a time. Our approach considerably reduces the barriers that still limit the usability of the powerful NGS technology and finally decreases the time to be spent before proceeding to further downstream analysis and interpretation of the data.

A Unified Performance Analysis of Free-Space Optical Links over Gamma-Gamma Turbulence Channels with Pointing Errors

KAUST Repository

Ansari, Imran Shafique

2013-11-13

In this work, we present a unified performance analysis of a free-space optical (FSO) link that accounts for pointing errors and both types of detection techniques (i.e. intensity modulation/direct detection as well as heterodyne detection). More specifically, we present unified exact closed-form expressions for the cumulative distribution function, the probability density function, the moment generating function, and the moments of the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a single link FSO transmission system, all in terms of the Meijer\\'s G function except for the moments that is in terms of simple elementary functions. We then capitalize on these unified results to offer unified exact closed-form expressions for various performance metrics of FSO link transmission systems, such as, the outage probability, the higher-order amount of fading (AF), the average error rate for binary and M-ary modulation schemes, and the ergodic capacity, all in terms of Meijer\\'s G functions except for the higher-order AF that is in terms of simple elementary functions. Additionally, we derive the asymptotic results for all the expressions derived earlier in terms of Meijer\\'s G function in the high SNR regime in terms of simple elementary functions via an asymptotic expansion of the Meijer\\'s G function. We also derive new asymptotic expressions for the ergodic capacity in the low as well as high SNR regimes in terms of simple elementary functions via utilizing moments. All the presented results are verified via computer-based Monte-Carlo simulations.

Mark I 1/5-scale boiling water reactor pressure suppresion experiment quick-look report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lai, W.; Collins, E.K.

1977-01-01

This report is intended as a ''quick-look'' report summarizing the experimental results obtained from pressure suppression experiment numbers 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 that were performed on the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory's 1/5-scale boiling water reactor (BWR) Mark I pressure suppression experimental facility on April 26, 1977. A brief description of the general nature of the tests and a summary of the actual tests that were performed are given

Sleep facilitates long-term face adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ditye, Thomas; Javadi, Amir Homayoun; Carbon, Claus-Christian; Walsh, Vincent

2013-10-22

Adaptation is an automatic neural mechanism supporting the optimization of visual processing on the basis of previous experiences. While the short-term effects of adaptation on behaviour and physiology have been studied extensively, perceptual long-term changes associated with adaptation are still poorly understood. Here, we show that the integration of adaptation-dependent long-term shifts in neural function is facilitated by sleep. Perceptual shifts induced by adaptation to a distorted image of a famous person were larger in a group of participants who had slept (experiment 1) or merely napped for 90 min (experiment 2) during the interval between adaptation and test compared with controls who stayed awake. Participants' individual rapid eye movement sleep duration predicted the size of post-sleep behavioural adaptation effects. Our data suggest that sleep prevented decay of adaptation in a way that is qualitatively different from the effects of reduced visual interference known as 'storage'. In the light of the well-established link between sleep and memory consolidation, our findings link the perceptual mechanisms of sensory adaptation--which are usually not considered to play a relevant role in mnemonic processes--with learning and memory, and at the same time reveal a new function of sleep in cognition.

Conceptual design of a cassette compact toroid reactor (the zero-phase study) - Quick replacement of the reactor core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishikawa, M.; Narikawa, T.; Iwamoto, M.; Watanabe, K.

1986-01-01

A study of a conceptual design for a ''cassette'' compact toroid reactor has been performed that emphasizes quick replacement handling. The core plasma, spheromak, is ohmically heated in a merging process between the core plasma and the gun-produced spheromak. The quick handling of replacement accomplished by using a functional material, a shape memory alloy (SMA) joint, which is proposed for release from first-wall high neutron loading in a newly devised mechanical and structural method. The SMA joint can be used for connecting or disconnecting the coupling by simply controlling the SMA temperature without the need for a robot system. Effective heat removal from the first wall and thermal and electromagnetic stress in a fusion core with very high heat flux are discussed from an engineering standpoint

Multibody motion in implicitly constrained director format with links via explicit constraints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Martin Bjerre; Krenk, Steen

2013-01-01

A conservative time integration algorithm is developed for constrained mechanical systems of kinematically linked rigid bodies based on convected base vectors. The base vectors are represented in terms of their absolute coordinates, hence the formulation makes use of three translation components...

Swarm-Aurora: A web-based tool for quickly identifying multi-instrument auroral events

Science.gov (United States)

Chaddock, D.; Donovan, E.; Spanswick, E.; Knudsen, D. J.; Frey, H. U.; Kauristie, K.; Partamies, N.; Jackel, B. J.; Gillies, M.; Holmdahl Olsen, P. E.

2016-12-01

In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in ground-based auroral imaging systems. These include the continent-wide THEMIS-ASI network, and imagers operated by other programs including GO-Canada, MIRACLE, AGO, OMTI, and more. In the near future, a new Canadian program called TREx will see the deployment of new narrow-band ASIs that will provide multi-wavelength imaging across Western Canada. At the same time, there is an unprecedented fleet of international spacecraft probing geospace at low and high altitudes. We are now in the position to simultaneously observe the magnetospheric drivers of aurora, observe in situ the waves, currents, and particles associated with MI coupling, and the conjugate aurora. Whereas a decade ago, a single magnetic conjunction between one ASI and a low altitude satellite was a relatively rare event, we now have a plethora of triple conjunctions between imagers, low-altitude spacecraft, and near-equatorial magnetospheric probes. But with these riches comes a new level of complexity. It is often difficult to identify the many useful conjunctions for a specific line of inquiry from the multitude of conjunctions where the geospace conditions are often not relevant and/or the imaging is compromised by clouds, moon, or other factors. Swarm-Aurora was designed to facilitate and drive the use of Swarm in situ measurements in auroral science. The project seeks to build a bridge between the Swarm science community, Swarm data, and the complimentary auroral data and community. Swarm-Aurora (http://swarm-aurora.phys.ucalgary.ca) incorporates a web-based tool which provides access to quick-look summary data for a large array of instruments, with Swarm in situ and ground-based ASI data as the primary focus. This web interface allows researchers to quickly and efficiently browse Swarm and ASI data to identify auroral events of interest to them. This allows researchers to be able to easily and quickly identify Swarm overflights of ASIs that

Operative Links

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wistoft, Karen; Højlund, Holger

2012-01-01

educational goals, learning content, or value clarification. Health pedagogy is often a matter of retrospective rationalization rather than the starting point of planning. Health and risk behaviour approaches override health educational approaches. Conclusions: Operational links between health education......, health professionalism, and management strategies pose the foremost challenge. Operational links indicates cooperative levels that facilitate a creative and innovative effort across traditional professional boundaries. It is proposed that such links are supported by network structures, shared semantics...

A Discussion about Upgrading the Quick Script Platform to Create Natural Language based IoT Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khanna, Anirudh; Das, Bhagwan; Pandey, Bishwajeet

2016-01-01

With the advent of AI and IoT, the idea of incorporating smart things/appliances in our day to day life is converting into a reality. The paper discusses the possibilities and potential of designing IoT systems which can be controlled via natural language, with help of Quick Script as a development...

High Speed Rail commuting: Efficiency analysis of the Spanish HSR links

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moyano, A.

2016-07-01

This paper is centred on the analysis of the commuting High Speed Rail (HSR) links that are possible nowadays in the Spanish network. The large development of the network multiplies the possibilities of travelling for commuting. However, not only the feasibility but also the characteristics of the trip, in terms of ticket cost and time spent on the travel, become essential factors when considering HSR commuting links. This paper presents a person-based methodology focused on travellers’ needs and working schedules constraints, which allow differentiating among connections and identifying those intervals of time spent and costs that are affordable for commuting. (Author)

Proyecto Quick Natura. Técnologías móviles aplicadas a rutas botánicas urbanas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Ripoll

2017-01-01

Full Text Available El proyecto Quick Natura pretende acercar a las personas que habitan o visitan espacios urbanos de la ciudad de Valencia al entorno vegetal que les rodea, de una manera rápida y amena. La iniciativa se basa en el uso de las nuevas tecnologías para conectar el mundo físico con el virtual mediante la colocación de códigos QR (Quick Response code, “código de respuesta rápida” en diferentes especies vegetales de jardines, parques y espacios urbanos y periurbanos. Cualquier usuario podrá escanear con un Smartphone u otro dispositivo móvil el código QR ubicado en las plantas etiquetadas, permitiendo el acceso inmediato a una capa de información amena y de fácil comprensión sobre ese ejemplar. El método permite asociar los códigos QR a la página web www.uv.es/quicknatura en el cual cada planta está alojada en un espacio virtual donde los usuarios podrán ver: información sobre la especie a través de preguntas y curiosidades, su ubicación actual, la ubicación de otros códigos QR cercanos y una serie de rutas diseñadas para diferentes jardines de la ciudad de Valencia. El proyecto permite un uso tanto particular como tutelado, con un guía acompañante que pueda complementar la información obtenida a través de Quick Natura.

Time development in the early history of social networks: link stabilization, group dynamics, and segregation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruun, Jesper; Bearden, Ian G

2014-01-01

Studies of the time development of empirical networks usually investigate late stages where lasting connections have already stabilized. Empirical data on early network history are rare but needed for a better understanding of how social network topology develops in real life. Studying students who are beginning their studies at a university with no or few prior connections to each other offers a unique opportunity to investigate the formation and early development of link patterns and community structure in social networks. During a nine week introductory physics course, first year physics students were asked to identify those with whom they communicated about problem solving in physics during the preceding week. We use these students' self reports to produce time dependent student interaction networks. We investigate these networks to elucidate possible effects of different student attributes in early network formation. Changes in the weekly number of links show that while roughly half of all links change from week to week, students also reestablish a growing number of links as they progress through their first weeks of study. Using the Infomap community detection algorithm, we show that the networks exhibit community structure, and we use non-network student attributes, such as gender and end-of-course grade to characterize communities during their formation. Specifically, we develop a segregation measure and show that students structure themselves according to gender and pre-organized sections (in which students engage in problem solving and laboratory work), but not according to end-of-coure grade. Alluvial diagrams of consecutive weeks' communities show that while student movement between groups are erratic in the beginning of their studies, they stabilize somewhat towards the end of the course. Taken together, the analyses imply that student interaction networks stabilize quickly and that students establish collaborations based on who is immediately

CLIMATE CHANGE: LONG-TERM TRENDS AND SHORT-TERM OSCILLATIONS

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

GAO Xin-quan; ZHANG Xin; QIAN Wei-hong

2006-01-01

Identifying the Northern Hemisphere (NH) temperature reconstruction and instrumental data for the past 1000 years shows that climate change in the last millennium includes long-term trends and various oscillations. Two long-term trends and the quasi-70-year oscillation were detected in the global temperature series for the last 140 years and the NH millennium series. One important feature was emphasized that temperature decreases slowly but it increases rapidly based on the analysis of different series. Benefits can be obtained of climate change from understanding various long-term trends and oscillations. Millennial temperature proxies from the natural climate system and time series of nonlinear model system are used in understanding the natural climate change and recognizing potential benefits by using the method of wavelet transform analysis. The results from numerical modeling show that major oscillations contained in numerical solutions on the interdecadal timescale are consistent with that of natural proxies. It seems that these oscillations in the climate change are not directly linked with the solar radiation as an external forcing. This investigation may conclude that the climate variability at the interdecadal timescale strongly depends on the internal nonlinear effects in the climate system.

Foreign exchange risk in terms of global financial crisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michał Buszko

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Fx risk is one of the most important types of risk of financial activity. In practice, this risk comprises several risk aspects related to currencies exchanging, however most often it is identified with unexpected changes of their prices. In terms of the global financial crisis of 2007–2009, the fx risk has raised significantly, revealing a high daily volatility, increased spreads and the reversal of long-term exchange rate trends. Such increased risk especially influenced emerging markets economies, including Poland. Its consequence was quick strengthening of Polish currency at the beginning of the global crisis followed by a very sudden fall of its value. This event led to a substantial increase of banking risk, investment funds and corporate operations. It changed the structure of GDP sources as well as generated huge losses for exporting companies, using currency options hedging strategies.

Link-N: The missing link towards intervertebral disc repair is species-specific.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frances C Bach

Full Text Available Degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD is a frequent cause for back pain in humans and dogs. Link-N stabilizes proteoglycan aggregates in cartilaginous tissues and exerts growth factor-like effects. The human variant of Link-N facilitates IVD regeneration in several species in vitro by inducing Smad1 signaling, but it is not clear whether this is species specific. Dogs with IVD disease could possibly benefit from Link-N treatment, but Link-N has not been tested on canine IVD cells. If Link-N appears to be effective in canines, this would facilitate translation of Link-N into the clinic using the dog as an in vivo large animal model for human IVD degeneration.This study's objective was to determine the effect of the human and canine variant of Link-N and short (s Link-N on canine chondrocyte-like cells (CLCs and compare this to those on already studied species, i.e. human and bovine CLCs. Extracellular matrix (ECM production was determined by measuring glycosaminoglycan (GAG content and histological evaluation. Additionally, the micro-aggregates' DNA content was measured. Phosphorylated (p Smad1 and -2 levels were determined using ELISA.Human (sLink-N induced GAG deposition in human and bovine CLCs, as expected. In contrast, canine (sLink-N did not affect ECM production in human CLCs, while it mainly induced collagen type I and II deposition in bovine CLCs. In canine CLCs, both canine and human (sLink-N induced negligible GAG deposition. Surprisingly, human and canine (sLink-N did not induce Smad signaling in human and bovine CLCs. Human and canine (sLink-N only mildly increased pSmad1 and Smad2 levels in canine CLCs.Human and canine (sLink-N exerted species-specific effects on CLCs from early degenerated IVDs. Both variants, however, lacked the potency as canine IVD regeneration agent. While these studies demonstrate the challenges of translational studies in large animal models, (sLink-N still holds a regenerative potential for humans.

Surface-to-surface biofilm transfer: a quick and reliable startup strategy for mixed culture microbial fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogl, Andreas; Bischof, Franz; Wichern, Marc

2016-01-01

The startup of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is known to be prone to failure or result in erratic performance impeding the research. The aim of this study was to advise a quick launch strategy for laboratory-scale MFCs that ensures steady operation performance in a short period of time. Different startup strategies were investigated and compared with membraneless single chamber MFCs. A direct surface-to-surface biofilm transfer (BFT) in an operating MFC proved to be the most efficient method. It provided steady power densities of 163 ± 13 mWm(-2) 4 days after inoculation compared to 58 ± 15 mWm(-2) after 30 days following a conventional inoculation approach. The in situ BFT eliminates the need for microbial acclimation during startup and reduces performance fluctuations caused by shifts in microbial biodiversity. Anaerobic pretreatment of the substrate and addition of suspended enzymes from an operating MFC into the new MFC proved to have a beneficial effect on startup and subsequent operation. Polarization methods were applied to characterize the startup phase and the steady state operation in terms of power densities, internal resistance and power overshoot during biofilm maturation. Applying this method a well-working MFC can be multiplied into an array of identically performing MFCs.

Long-term induced agricultural intensification in China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teng, Shuqing; Svenning, Jens-Christian

2016-01-01

Understanding the dynamics of agricultural intensification has great implications for biodiversity conservation faced with increasing human population and food demand. How agricultural intensification evolves with human population growth is differently described by three theories, namely......, the Boserupian, Malthusian and induced intensification theories. The Malthusian theory suggests quick adoption of available techniques that increase human population, while the other two share one viewpoint that increased intensive level of agriculture is passively induced by population growth. Which theory has...... a prediction that matches long-term dynamics of agricultural intensification in history? Using historical land-use data spanning two thousand years, this study estimated the dynamic trajectories of four cultivation practices with different intensive levels in a part of China and assessed the three theories...

Analytic programming with FMRI data: a quick-start guide for statisticians using R.

Science.gov (United States)

Eloyan, Ani; Li, Shanshan; Muschelli, John; Pekar, Jim J; Mostofsky, Stewart H; Caffo, Brian S

2014-01-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a thriving field that plays an important role in medical imaging analysis, biological and neuroscience research and practice. This manuscript gives a didactic introduction to the statistical analysis of fMRI data using the R project, along with the relevant R code. The goal is to give statisticians who would like to pursue research in this area a quick tutorial for programming with fMRI data. References of relevant packages and papers are provided for those interested in more advanced analysis.

On the capacity of FSO links under lognormal and Rician-lognormal turbulences

KAUST Repository

Ansari, Imran Shafique; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim; Cheng, Julian

2014-01-01

) is addressed in this work. More specifically, a unified exact closed-form expression for the moments of the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a single link FSO transmission system is presented in terms of well-known elementary functions. Capitalizing

Comparison of Quick Lactose Intolerance Test in duodenal biopsies of dyspeptic patients with single nucleotide polymorphism LCT-13910C>T associated with primary hypolactasia/lactase-persistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattar, Rejane; Basile-Filho, Anibal; Kemp, Rafael; Santos, José Sebastião dos

2013-01-01

To analyze the usefulness of Quick Lactose Intolerance Test in relation to the genetic test based on LCT-13910C>T genotypes, previously validated for clinical practice, for primary hypolactasia/lactase-persistence diagnosis. Thirty-two dyspeptic patients that underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy entered the study. Two postbulbar duodenal biopsies were taken for the Quick test, and gastric antral biopsy for DNA extraction and LCT-13910C>T polymorphism analysis. DNA was also extracted from biopsies after being used in the Quick Test that was kept frozen until extraction. Nine patients with lactase-persistence genotype (LCT-13910CT or LCT-13910TT) had normolactasia, eleven patients with hypolactasia genotype (LCT-13910CC) had severe hypolactasia, and among twelve with mild hypolactasia, except for one that had LCT-13910CT genotype, all the others had hypolactasia genotype. The agreement between genetic test and quick test was high (plactose-containing food ingestion had severe hypolactasia (plactose intolerance.

A quick and easy test for deciding entanglement status of an N-qubit pure quantum state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehendale, D.P.; Joag, P.S.

2018-01-01

We develop a simple criterion in terms of a necessary-sufficient condition (NS condition) for deciding separability of an arbitrary n-qubit pure quantum state. This NS condition provides a quick and easy test procedure to determine the entanglement status of a pure quantum state. We normalize the given quantum state and using this normalized state we can easily build a simplest system of equations containing trigonometric functions by making use of the well known Bloch Sphere representation for single qubit states and check whether or not this system of equations is consistent. According to proposed NS condition the given pure quantum state is separable (entangled) if and only if the above mentioned system of equations is consistent (inconsistent). We build this system of equations by equating the coefficients of computational basis states in the superposition representing the given pure quantum state with certain products of trigonometric functions obtained using standard Bloch Sphere representation for single qubit states. To establish separability of given state one requires to find a valid solution of the above mentioned system of equations but entanglement on the other hand follows when any two equations in this system of equations are mutually inconsistent. Thus, entanglement of the state can follow easily if one succeeds in finding any two mutually inconsistent equations in the above mentioned system of equations.

Bit-error-rate performance analysis of self-heterodyne detected radio-over-fiber links using phase and intensity modulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yin, Xiaoli; Yu, Xianbin; Tafur Monroy, Idelfonso

2010-01-01

We theoretically and experimentally investigate the performance of two self-heterodyne detected radio-over-fiber (RoF) links employing phase modulation (PM) and quadrature biased intensity modulation (IM), in term of bit-error-rate (BER) and optical signal-to-noise-ratio (OSNR). In both links, self...

Quick Response Code Secure: A Cryptographically Secure Anti-Phishing Tool for QR Code Attacks

OpenAIRE

Mavroeidis, Vasileios; Nicho, Mathew

2017-01-01

The two-dimensional quick response (QR) codes can be misleading due to the difficulty in differentiating a genuine QR code from a malicious one. Since the vulnerability is practically part of their design, scanning a malicious QR code can direct the user to cloned malicious sites resulting in revealing sensitive information. In order to evaluate the vulnerabilities and propose subsequent countermeasures, we demonstrate this type of attack through a simulated experiment, where a malicious QR c...

Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ child and adolescent asthma guidelines: a quick reference guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Asher, Innes; McNamara, David; Davies, Cheryl; Demetriou, Teresa; Fleming, Theresa; Harwood, Matire; Hetaraka-Stevens, Lorraine; Ingham, Tristram; Kristiansen, John; Reid, Jim; Rickard, Debbie; Ryan, Debbie

2017-12-01

The purpose of the New Zealand Child and adolescent asthma guidelines: a quick reference guide is to provide simple, practical, evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis, assessment and management of asthma in children and adolescents in New Zealand, with the aim of improving outcomes and reducing inequities. The intended users are health professionals responsible for delivering asthma care in the community and hospital emergency department settings, and those responsible for the training of such health professionals.

Quick setup of test unit for accelerator control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, W.; D'Ottavio, T.; Gassner, D.; Nemesure, S.; Morris, J.

2011-01-01

Testing a single hardware unit of an accelerator control system often requires the setup of a program with graphical user interface. Developing a dedicated application for a specific hardware unit test could be time consuming and the application may become obsolete after the unit tests. This paper documents a methodology for quick design and setup of an interface focused on performing unit tests of accelerator equipment with minimum programming work. The method has three components. The first is a generic accelerator device object (ADO) manager which can be used to setup, store, and log testing controls parameters for any unit testing system. The second involves the design of a TAPE (Tool for Automated Procedure Execution) sequence file that specifies and implements all te testing and control logic. The sting third is the design of a PET (parameter editing tool) page that provides the unit tester with all the necessary control parameters required for testing. This approach has been used for testing the horizontal plane of the Stochastic Cooling Motion Control System at RHIC.

Development of a method to accurately calculate the Dpb and quickly predict the strength of a chemical bond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du, Xia; Zhao, Dong-Xia; Yang, Zhong-Zhi

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A method from new respect to characterize and measure the bond strength is proposed. ► We calculate the D pb of a series of various bonds to justify our approach. ► A quite good linear relationship of the D pb with the bond lengths for series of various bonds is shown. ► Take the prediction of strengths of C–H and N–H bonds for base pairs in DNA as a practical application of our method. - Abstract: A new approach to characterize and measure bond strength has been developed. First, we propose a method to accurately calculate the potential acting on an electron in a molecule (PAEM) at the saddle point along a chemical bond in situ, denoted by D pb . Then, a direct method to quickly evaluate bond strength is established. We choose some familiar molecules as models for benchmarking this method. As a practical application, the D pb of base pairs in DNA along C–H and N–H bonds are obtained for the first time. All results show that C 7 –H of A–T and C 8 –H of G–C are the relatively weak bonds that are the injured positions in DNA damage. The significance of this work is twofold: (i) A method is developed to calculate D pb of various sizable molecules in situ quickly and accurately; (ii) This work demonstrates the feasibility to quickly predict the bond strength in macromolecules

Identifying Early Links between Temperament, Short-Term and Working Memory in Preschoolers

Science.gov (United States)

Visu-Petra, Laura; Cheie, Lavinia; Câmpan, Maria; Scutelnicu, Ioana; Benga, Oana

2018-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate early interrelationships between temperament, short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM), while also relating them to incipient anxious traits in a sample of 4-7-year-olds. Preschoolers were evaluated using verbal and visuospatial STM and WM tasks, while parental reports were used to assess children's…

Light-induced cross-linking and post-cross-linking modification of polyglycidol.

Science.gov (United States)

Marquardt, F; Bruns, M; Keul, H; Yagci, Y; Möller, M

2018-02-08

The photoinduced radical generation process has received renewed interest due to its economic and ecological appeal. Herein the light-induced cross-linking of functional polyglycidol and its post-cross-linking modification are presented. Linear polyglycidol was first functionalized with a tertiary amine in a two-step reaction. Dimethylaminopropyl functional polyglycidol was cross-linked in a UV-light mediated reaction with camphorquinone as a type II photoinitiator. The cross-linked polyglycidol was further functionalized by quaternization with various organoiodine compounds. Aqueous dispersions of the cross-linked polymers were investigated by means of DLS and zeta potential measurements. Polymer films were evaluated by DSC and XPS.

Comparison of the quick mild cognitive impairment (Qmci) screen and the SMMSE in screening for mild cognitive impairment.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Caoimh, Rónán

2012-09-01

differentiating mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from normal cognition (NC) is difficult. The AB Cognitive Screen (ABCS) 135, sensitive in differentiating MCI from dementia, was modified to improve sensitivity and specificity, producing the quick mild cognitive impairment (Qmci) screen.

A history of the INTERNIST-1 and Quick Medical Reference (QMR) computer-assisted diagnosis projects, with lessons learned.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, R A

2010-01-01

The INTERNIST-1/Quick Medical Reference (QMR) diagnostic decision support project spans four decades, from 1971-onward. This paper describes the history of the project and details insights gained of relevance to the general clinical and informatics communities.

Mathematical modelling of ionospheric TEC from Turkish permanent GNSS Network (TPGN) observables during 2009-2017 and predictability of NeQuick and Kriging models

Science.gov (United States)

Ansari, Kutubuddin; Panda, Sampad Kumar; Corumluoglu, Ozsen

2018-03-01

The present study examines the ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) variations in the lower mid-latitude Turkish region from the Turkish permanent GNSS network (TPGN) and International GNSS Services (IGS) observations during the years 2009 to 2017. The corresponding vertical TEC (VTEC) predicted by Kriging and NeQuick-2 models are evaluated to realize their efficacy over the country. We studied the diurnal, seasonal and spatial pattern of VTEC variation and tried to estimate by a new mathematical model using the long term of 9 years VTEC data. The diurnal variation of VTEC demonstrates a normal trend with its gradual enhancement from dawn to attain a peak around 09:00-14.00 UT and reaching the minimum level after 22.00 UT. The seasonal behavior of VTEC indicates a strong semi-annual variation of VTEC with maxima in September equinox followed by March equinox and minima in June solstice followed by December solstice. Also, the spatial variation in VTEC depicts a meaningful longitudinal/latitudinal pattern altering with seasons. It decreases longitudinally from the west to the east during March equinox and June solstice increases with latitude. The comparative analysis among the GNSS-VTEC, Kriging, NeQuick and the proposed mathematical model are evaluated with the help one way ANOVA test. The analysis shows that the null hypothesis of the models during storm and quiet days are accepted and suggesting that all models are statistically significantly equivalent from each other. We believe the outcomes from this study would complement towards a relatively better understanding of the lower mid-latitude VTEC variation over the Turkish region and analogous latitudes over the globe.

Modulation of working memory updating: Does long-term memory lexical association matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Artuso, Caterina; Palladino, Paola

2016-02-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate how working memory updating for verbal material is modulated by enduring properties of long-term memory. Two coexisting perspectives that account for the relation between long-term representation and short-term performance were addressed. First, evidence suggests that performance is more closely linked to lexical properties, that is, co-occurrences within the language. Conversely, other evidence suggests that performance is linked more to long-term representations which do not entail lexical/linguistic representations. Our aim was to investigate how these two kinds of long-term memory associations (i.e., lexical or nonlexical) modulate ongoing working memory activity. Therefore, we manipulated (between participants) the strength of the association in letters based on either frequency of co-occurrences (lexical) or contiguity along the sequence of the alphabet (nonlexical). Results showed a cost in working memory updating for strongly lexically associated stimuli only. Our findings advance knowledge of how lexical long-term memory associations between consonants affect working memory updating and, in turn, contribute to the study of factors which impact the updating process across memory systems.

BENEFITS OF LINKED DATA FOR INTEROPERABILITY DURING CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Roller

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Floodings represent a permanent risk to the Netherlands in general and to her power supply in particular. Data sharing is essential within this crisis scenario as a power cut affects a great variety of interdependant sectors. Currently used data sharing systems have been shown to hamper interoperability between stakeholders since they lack flexibility and there is no consensus in term definitions and interpretations. The study presented in this paper addresses these challenges by proposing a new data sharing solution based on Linked Data, a method of interlinking data points in a structured way on the web. A conceptual model for two data sharing parties in a flood-caused power cut crisis management scenario was developed to which relevant data were linked. The analysis revealed that the presented data sharing solution burderns its user with extra costs in the short run, but saves resources in the long run by overcoming interoperability problems of the legacy systems. The more stakeholders adopt Linked Data the stronger its benefits for data sharing will become.

Efficient Sparse Signal Transmission over a Lossy Link Using Compressive Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liantao Wu

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Reliable data transmission over lossy communication link is expensive due to overheads for error protection. For signals that have inherent sparse structures, compressive sensing (CS is applied to facilitate efficient sparse signal transmissions over lossy communication links without data compression or error protection. The natural packet loss in the lossy link is modeled as a random sampling process of the transmitted data, and the original signal will be reconstructed from the lossy transmission results using the CS-based reconstruction method at the receiving end. The impacts of packet lengths on transmission efficiency under different channel conditions have been discussed, and interleaving is incorporated to mitigate the impact of burst data loss. Extensive simulations and experiments have been conducted and compared to the traditional automatic repeat request (ARQ interpolation technique, and very favorable results have been observed in terms of both accuracy of the reconstructed signals and the transmission energy consumption. Furthermore, the packet length effect provides useful insights for using compressed sensing for efficient sparse signal transmission via lossy links.

Repeated quick hot-and-chilling treatments for the inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in mung bean and radish seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Bari, Md Latiful; Sugiyama, Jun; Kawamoto, Shinnichi

2009-01-01

The majority of the seed sprout-related outbreaks have been associated with Escherichia coli O157:H7. Therefore, it is necessary to find an effective method to inactivate these organisms on the seeds prior to sprouting. This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of repeated quick hot-and-chilling treatments with various chemicals to inactivate E. coli O157:H7 populations inoculated onto mung bean and radish seeds intended for sprout production and to determine the effect of these treatments on seed germination. The treatment time was 20 sec for quick hot and 20 sec for quick chilling in one repeat. Likewise up to five repeats were done throughout the experiments. The chemicals used for this study were electrolyzed acidic (EO) water, phytic acid (0.05%), oxalic acid (3%), surfcera(R), and alpha-torino water(R), and distilled water was used as control. The quick hot treatment was done with 75 degrees C, 70 degrees C, and 60 degrees C, and the chilling temperature was 0 degrees C. The treated seeds were then assessed for the efficacy of this treatment in reducing populations of the pathogens and the effects of repeated quick hot-and-chilling treatments on germination yield. It was found that repeating treatment at 75 degrees C for two or three repeats with phytic acid and oxalic acid could reduce 4.38-log colony-forming unit (CFU)/g of E. coli O157:H7 in mung bean seeds. EO water and distilled water were found equally effective at 75 degrees C for four or five repeats to inactivate E. coli O157:H7 in mung bean seeds. However, alpha-torino water(R) and surfcera(R) were not found effective in comparison to other sanitizers used in this experiment. Irrespective of sanitizer used, the germination yield of the mung bean seed was not affected significantly. On the other hand, distilled water, EO water, and alpha-torino water(R) at 75 degrees C for five repeats were found effective in reducing 5.80-log CFU/g of E. coli O157:H7 in radish seeds; however, the

Use of link to mammography screening information and link sharing strategies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mukai, Thomas; Bro, Flemming; Olesen, Frede

2011-01-01

-43%) reported use of the link. The difference between the two strategies was 15% (95% CI: 8-22%) (Pused the link prior to the screening event, and 37% (95% CI: 30-43%) used the link afterwards. The difference was 9% (95% CI: 0-17%) (P=0.035). Among the GPs in group 1, 40% (95% CI......Introduction: The Internet is increasingly being used for disseminating knowledge in health care. Often this is done through a ‘Uniform Resource Locator’ (URL), better known as a link. There are three ways of sharing a link: verbally, in print or electronically. Furthermore, timing and exposure...... in Central Denmark Region, we constructed a website containing screening programme information for GPs. We inserted the link to this website in different media and divided the GPs into three groups: Group 1 received a letter prior to the screening event and an electronic test result after the screening...

Wallops Low Elevation Link Analysis for the Constellation Launch/Ascent Links

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Keith; Ho, C.; Kantak, A.; Lee, C.; Tye, R.; Richards, E.; Sham, C.; Schlesinger, A.; Barritt, B.

2011-01-01

To execute the President's Vision for Space Exploration, the Constellation Program (CxP) was formed to build the next generation spacecraft Orion and launch vehicles Ares, to transport human and cargo to International Space Station (ISS), moon, and Mars. This paper focuses on the detailed link analysis for Orion/Ares s launch and ascent links with Wallops 11.3m antenna (1) Orion's Dissimilar Voice link: 10.24 Kbps, 2-way (2) Ares Developmental Flight Instrument link, 20 Mbps, downlink. Three launch trajectories are considered: TD7-E, F (Feb), and G (Aug). In certain launch scenarios, the critical events of main engine cutoff (MECO) and Separation occur during the low elevation regime of WFF s downrange -- less than 5 degree elevation angle. The goal of the study is to access if there is enough link margins for WFF to track the DV and DFI links.

Three-dimensional quick response code based on inkjet printing of upconversion fluorescent nanoparticles for drug anti-counterfeiting

Science.gov (United States)

You, Minli; Lin, Min; Wang, Shurui; Wang, Xuemin; Zhang, Ge; Hong, Yuan; Dong, Yuqing; Jin, Guorui; Xu, Feng

2016-05-01

Medicine counterfeiting is a serious issue worldwide, involving potentially devastating health repercussions. Advanced anti-counterfeit technology for drugs has therefore aroused intensive interest. However, existing anti-counterfeit technologies are associated with drawbacks such as the high cost, complex fabrication process, sophisticated operation and incapability in authenticating drug ingredients. In this contribution, we developed a smart phone recognition based upconversion fluorescent three-dimensional (3D) quick response (QR) code for tracking and anti-counterfeiting of drugs. We firstly formulated three colored inks incorporating upconversion nanoparticles with RGB (i.e., red, green and blue) emission colors. Using a modified inkjet printer, we printed a series of colors by precisely regulating the overlap of these three inks. Meanwhile, we developed a multilayer printing and splitting technology, which significantly increases the information storage capacity per unit area. As an example, we directly printed the upconversion fluorescent 3D QR code on the surface of drug capsules. The 3D QR code consisted of three different color layers with each layer encoded by information of different aspects of the drug. A smart phone APP was designed to decode the multicolor 3D QR code, providing the authenticity and related information of drugs. The developed technology possesses merits in terms of low cost, ease of operation, high throughput and high information capacity, thus holds great potential for drug anti-counterfeiting.Medicine counterfeiting is a serious issue worldwide, involving potentially devastating health repercussions. Advanced anti-counterfeit technology for drugs has therefore aroused intensive interest. However, existing anti-counterfeit technologies are associated with drawbacks such as the high cost, complex fabrication process, sophisticated operation and incapability in authenticating drug ingredients. In this contribution, we developed a

QuickStrike ASOC Battlefield Simulation: Preparing the War Fighter to Win

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Richard L.

2010-01-01

The QuickStrike ASOC (Air Support Operations Center) Battlefield Simulation fills a crucial gap in USAF and United Kingdom Close Air Support (CAS) and airspace manager training. The system now provides six squadrons with the capability to conduct total-mission training events whenever the personnel and time are available. When the 111th ASOC returned from their first deployment to Afghanistan they realized the training available prior to deployment was inadequate. They sought an organic training capability focused on the ASOC mission that was low cost, simple to use, adaptable, and available now. Using a commercial off-the-shelf simulation, they developed a complete training system by adapting the simulation to their training needs. Through more than two years of spiral development, incorporating lessons learned, the system has matured, and can now realistically replicate the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) in Kabul, Afghanistan, the TOC supporting the mission in Iraq, or can expand to support a major conflict scenario. The training system provides a collaborative workspace for the training audience and exercise control group via integrated software and workstations that can easily adapt to new mission reqUirements and TOC configurations. The system continues to mature. Based on inputs from the war fighter, new capabilities have been incorporated to add realism and simplify the scenario development process. The QuickStrike simulation can now import TBMCS Air Tasking Order air mission data and can provide air and ground tracks to a common operating picture; presented through either C2PC or JADOCS. This oranic capability to practice team processes and tasks and to conduct mission rehearsals proved its value in the 111 h ASOS's next deployment. The ease of scenario development and the simple to learn and intuitive gamelike interface enables the squadrons to develop and share scenarios incorporating lessons learned from every deployment. These war fighters have now

A Glossary of Research Terms for Out-of-School Time Program Practitioners. Research-to-Results Fact Sheet. Publication #2007-02

Science.gov (United States)

Bronte-Tinkew, Jacinta; Horowitz, Allison; Redd, Zakia; Moore, Kristin A.; Valladares, Sherylls

2007-01-01

This glossary of common research and evaluation terms can serve as a quick reference guide for out-of school time practitioners as they face the challenges posed in this new era of program accountability. Subsequent briefs will provide more detailed information on particular types of research and evaluation designs. A list of additional resources…

Cellular Links between Neuronal Activity and Energy Homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shetty, Pavan K; Galeffi, Francesca; Turner, Dennis A

2012-01-01

Neuronal activity, astrocytic responses to this activity, and energy homeostasis are linked together during baseline, conscious conditions, and short-term rapid activation (as occurs with sensory or motor function). Nervous system energy homeostasis also varies during long-term physiological conditions (i.e., development and aging) and with adaptation to pathological conditions, such as ischemia or low glucose. Neuronal activation requires increased metabolism (i.e., ATP generation) which leads initially to substrate depletion, induction of a variety of signals for enhanced astrocytic function, and increased local blood flow and substrate delivery. Energy generation (particularly in mitochondria) and use during ATP hydrolysis also lead to considerable heat generation. The local increases in blood flow noted following neuronal activation can both enhance local substrate delivery but also provides a heat sink to help cool the brain and removal of waste by-products. In this review we highlight the interactions between short-term neuronal activity and energy metabolism with an emphasis on signals and factors regulating astrocyte function and substrate supply.

Deficits in verbal long-term memory and learning in children with poor phonological short-term memory skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Gathercole, Susan E; Briscoe, Josie; Thorn, Annabel; Tiffany, Claire

2008-03-01

Possible links between phonological short-term memory and both longer term memory and learning in 8-year-old children were investigated in this study. Performance on a range of tests of long-term memory and learning was compared for a group of 16 children with poor phonological short-term memory skills and a comparison group of children of the same age with matched nonverbal reasoning abilities but memory scores in the average range. The low-phonological-memory group were impaired on longer term memory and learning tasks that taxed memory for arbitrary verbal material such as names and nonwords. However, the two groups performed at comparable levels on tasks requiring the retention of visuo-spatial information and of meaningful material and at carrying out prospective memory tasks in which the children were asked to carry out actions at a future point in time. The results are consistent with the view that poor short-term memory function impairs the longer-term retention and ease of learning of novel verbal material.

Linking open vocabularies

CERN Document Server

Greifender, Elke; Seadle, Michael

2013-01-01

Linked Data (LD), Linked Open Data (LOD) and generating a web of data, present the new knowledge sharing frontier. In a philosophical context, LD is an evolving environment that reflects humankinds' desire to understand the world by drawing on the latest technologies and capabilities of the time. LD, while seemingly a new phenomenon did not emerge overnight; rather it represents the natural progression by which knowledge structures are developed, used, and shared. Linked Open Vocabularies is a significant trajectory of LD. Linked Open Vocabularies targets vocabularies that have traditionally b

Short-term versus long-term approaches to the development of tourism-related policies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dredge, Dianne

Tourism policy development is an increasingly complex activity involving multiple public sector agencies, industry and community stakeholders and non-government organisations at different scales. This discussion paper examines the implications for tourism of governments adopting short- term versus...... long-term approaches to the development of tourism related policies and identifies policy considerations to maximize the growth potential of tourism. The key issue is to understand how governments can strengthen their support for tourism growth and development by taking an integrated cross......-sector policy approach. The discussion paper commences by examining the unique character of tourism policyscape and recognises that it involves a wide variety of inter-linked policy sectors that often operate and develop policies in separate policy processes. Little attention is placed on cross-sector policy...

Quick, portable toxicity testing of marine or terrigenous fluids, sediments, or chemicals with bioluminescent organism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabate, R.W.; Stiffey, A.V.; Dewailly, E.L.

1995-01-01

A hand-held, battery-operated instrument, which measures bioluminescence inhibition of the microscopic marine dinoflagellate Pyrocystis lunula, is capable of field-testing substances for toxicity. The organism is sensitive to ppb of strong toxicants. It tolerates some solvents in concentrations necessary for testing lipophylic samples. A test consumes only micrograms of sample. This method requires no adjustments for salinity, pH, color, or turbidity. It has been used successfully to test oil-well drilling fluids, brines produced with oil, waters and sediments from streams and lakes and petroleum-plant effluents containing contaminants such as benzene. The test is non-specific; however, if the substance is known, the end-point effects a direct measurement of its concentration. One-hour toxicity screening tests in the field produce results comparable to the standard four-hour laboratory test. Keeping the sample in the dark during incubation and testing, together with shortness of the overall procedure, eliminates anomalies from light-sensitive substances. Day-to-day variation, as well as among test replicates, is less than 10%. This quick method yields results comparable with a quick test that uses Photobacterium phosphoria, and with 96-hour tests that use Mysidopsis bahia, Artemia salina, Gonyaulax polyedra, Pimephales promelas, Ceriodaphnia dubia, and Cyprinodon variegatus

Fast steering and quick positioning of large field-of-regard, two-axis, four-gimbaled sight

Science.gov (United States)

Ansari, Zahir Ahmed; Nigam, Madhav Ji; Kumar, Avnish

2017-07-01

Fast steering and quick positioning are prime requirements of the current electro-optical tracking system to achieve quick target acquisition. A scheme has been proposed for realizing these features using two-axis, four-gimbaled sight. For steering the line of sight in the stabilization mode, outer gimbal is slaved to the gyro stabilized inner gimbal. Typically, the inner gimbals have direct drives and outer gimbals have geared drives, which result in a mismatch in the acceleration capability of their servo loops. This limits the allowable control bandwidth for the inner gimbal. However, to achieve high stabilization accuracy, high bandwidth control loops are essential. This contradictory requirement has been addressed by designing a suitable command conditioning module for the inner gimbals. Also, large line-of-sight freedom in pitch axis is required to provide a wide area surveillance capacity for airborne application. This leads to a loss of freedom along the yaw axis as the pitch angle goes beyond 70 deg or so. This is addressed by making the outer gimbal master after certain pitch angle. Moreover, a mounting scheme for gyro has been proposed to accomplish yaw axis stabilization for 110-deg pitch angle movement with a single two-axis gyro.

Quick screening for new flux pinning materials in YBCO films with the combinatorial-PLD method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimura, T.; Ichino, Y.; Yoshida, Y.; Takai, Y.; Kita, R.; Suzuki, K.; Takeuchi, T.

2011-01-01

An effective way to improve the superconducting properties in REBa 2 Cu 3 O y (REBCO) films under a magnetic field is to dope artificial pinning centers (APC). The pinning performance depends on the content of the APC materials. Usually, the optimal APC content is explored by preparing films one at a time from the REBCO target using different APC material content, which is an extremely time-consuming process. The combinatorial-PLD (C-PLD) method allowed us to prepare films that continuously changed in composition across a single substrate. In this study, we used the C-PLD method to prepare BaSnO 3 (BSO)-doped YBCO films. The films were deposited on SrTiO 3 substrate using a fourth-harmonic Nd:YAG laser. From the results of the J c -B curves at 77 K and B//c, the film that contained 3.2 vol.% of BSO exhibited the best pinning performance in this study. We showed that the C-PLD method was efficient for quick screening of the optimal APC content with only one deposition. We also used the C-PLD method to explore new APC materials, and proved that it can quickly evaluate the new APC materials Ba 3 Cu 3 In 4 O 12 and BaTbO 3 .

The hammer QSD-quick stop device for high speed machining and rubbing

Science.gov (United States)

Black, J. T.; James, C. R.

1980-01-01

A quick stop device (QSD) was designed for use in orthogonal machining and rubbing experiments. QSD's are used to obtain chip root samples that are representative of the deformation taking place during dynamic (actual) cutting conditions. These 'frozen' specimens are helpful in examining the plastic deformation that occurs in the regions of compression and shear which form the chip; the secondary shear at the tool-chip interface; and the nose ploughing/flank rubbing action which operates on the newly machined surface. The Hammer QSD employs a shear pin mechanism, broken by a flying hammer, which is traveling at the same velocity as the workpiece. The device has been successfully tested up to 6000 sfpm (30.48 m/sec).

System tests of radiation hard optical links for the ATLAS semiconductor tracker

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charlton, D.G.; Dowell, J.D.; Homer, R.J.; Jovanovic, P.; Kenyon, I.R.; Mahout, G.; Shaylor, H.R.; Wilson, J.A.; Rudge, A.; Fopma, J.; Mandic, I.; Nickerson, R.B.; Shield, P.; Wastie, R.; Weidberg, A.R.; Eek, L.-O.; Go, A.; Lund-Jensen, B.; Pearce, M.; Soederqvist, J.; Morrissey, M.; White, D.J.

2000-01-01

A prototype optical data and Timing, Trigger and Control transmission system based on LEDs and PIN-diodes has been constructed. The system would be suitable in terms of radiation hardness and radiation length for use in the ATLAS SemiConductor Tracker. Bit error rate measurements were performed for the data links and for the links distributing the Timing, Trigger and Control data from the counting room to the front-end modules. The effects of cross-talk between the emitters and receivers were investigated. The advantages of using Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) instead of LEDs are discussed

Globally linked vortex clusters in trapped wave fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crasovan, Lucian-Cornel; Molina-Terriza, Gabriel; Torres, Juan P.; Torner, Lluis; Perez-Garcia, Victor M.; Mihalache, Dumitru

2002-01-01

We put forward the existence of a rich variety of fully stationary vortex structures, termed H clusters, made of an increasing number of vortices nested in paraxial wave fields confined by trapping potentials. However, we show that the constituent vortices are globally linked, rather than products of independent vortices. Also, they always feature a monopolar global wave front and exist in nonlinear systems, such as the Bose-Einstein condensates. Clusters with multipolar global wave fronts are nonstationary or, at best, flipping

Visualisierung von typisierten Links in Linked Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georg Neubauer

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Das Themengebiet der Arbeit behandelt Visualisierungen von typisierten Links in Linked Data. Die wissenschaftlichen Gebiete, die im Allgemeinen den Inhalt des Beitrags abgrenzen, sind das Semantic Web, das Web of Data und Informationsvisualisierung. Das Semantic Web, das von Tim Berners Lee 2001 erfunden wurde, stellt eine Erweiterung zum World Wide Web (Web 2.0 dar. Aktuelle Forschungen beziehen sich auf die Verknüpfbarkeit von Informationen im World Wide Web. Um es zu ermöglichen, solche Verbindungen wahrnehmen und verarbeiten zu können sind Visualisierungen die wichtigsten Anforderungen als Hauptteil der Datenverarbeitung. Im Zusammenhang mit dem Sematic Web werden Repräsentationen von zuhammenhängenden Informationen anhand von Graphen gehandhabt. Der Grund des Entstehens dieser Arbeit ist in erster Linie die Beschreibung der Gestaltung von Linked Data-Visualisierungskonzepten, deren Prinzipien im Rahmen einer theoretischen Annäherung eingeführt werden. Anhand des Kontexts führt eine schrittweise Erweiterung der Informationen mit dem Ziel, praktische Richtlinien anzubieten, zur Vernetzung dieser ausgearbeiteten Gestaltungsrichtlinien. Indem die Entwürfe zweier alternativer Visualisierungen einer standardisierten Webapplikation beschrieben werden, die Linked Data als Netzwerk visualisiert, konnte ein Test durchgeführt werden, der deren Kompatibilität zum Inhalt hatte. Der praktische Teil behandelt daher die Designphase, die Resultate, und zukünftige Anforderungen des Projektes, die durch die Testung ausgearbeitet wurden.

Implementing ERP-systems with accelerated ERP more efficient and quickly – a best practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yücel Yılmaz

2011-07-01

Full Text Available This best practice deals with the Accelerated ERP Methodology and the relevant project steps, while defining the main parameters such as administration, system availability, security and planning the project and the network. In this case, the implementation project in a food company (JKL, name altered is analyzed within the scope of project management, and it is described how this methodology put into practice. With this study, efficiency and quickness of an ERP implementation with the Accelerated ERP Methodology is pointed out.

LinkMind: Link Optimization in Swarming Mobile Sensor Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ngo, Trung Dung

2012-01-01

of the most advantageous properties of the swarming wireless sensor network is that mobile nodes can work cooperatively to organize an ad-hoc network and optimize the network link capacity to maximize the transmission of gathered data from a source to a target. This paper describes a new method of link...... optimization of swarming mobile sensor networks. The new method is based on combination of the artificial potential force guaranteeing connectivities of the mobile sensor nodes and the max-flow min-cut theorem of graph theory ensuring optimization of the network link capacity. The developed algorithm...

Mission Control Operations: Employing a New High Performance Design for Communications Links Supporting Exploration Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Dan E., Jr.

2015-01-01

The planetary exploration programs demand a totally new examination of data multiplexing, digital communications protocols and data transmission principles for both ground and spacecraft operations. Highly adaptive communications devices on-board and on the ground must provide the greatest possible transmitted data density between deployed crew personnel, spacecraft and ground control teams. Regarding these requirements, this proposal borrows from research into quantum mechanical computing by applying the concept of a qubit, a single bit that represents 16 states, to radio frequency (RF) communications link design for exploration programs. This concept of placing multiple character values into a single data bit can easily make the evolutionary steps needed to meet exploration mission demands. To move the qubit from the quantum mechanical research laboratory into long distance RF data transmission, this proposal utilizes polarization modulation of the RF carrier signal to represent numbers from zero to fifteen. It introduces the concept of a binary-to-hexadecimal converter that quickly chops any data stream into 16-bit words and connects variously polarized feedhorns to a single-frequency radio transmitter. Further, the concept relies on development of a receiver that uses low-noise amplifiers and an antenna array to quickly assess carrier polarity and perform hexadecimal to binary conversion. Early testbed experiments using the International Space Station (ISS) as an operations laboratory can be implemented to provide the most cost-effective return for research investment. The improvement in signal-to-noise ratio while supporting greater baseband data rates that could be achieved through this concept justifies its consideration for long-distance exploration programs.

A practical link between medical and computer groups in image data processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ollivier, J Y

1975-01-01

An acquisition and processing system of scintigraphic images should not be exclusively constructed for a computer specialist. Primarily it should be designed to be easily and quickly handled by a nurse or a doctor and be programmed by the doctor or the computer specialist. This consideration led Intertechnique to construct the CINE 200 system. In fact, the CINE 200 includes a computer and so offers the programming possibilities which are the tools of the computer specialist, even more it was conceived especially for clinic use and offers some functions which cannot be carried out by classical computer and some standard peripherals. In addition, the CINE 200 allows the doctor who is not a computer specialist to familiarize himself with this science by the progressive levels of language, the first level being a link of simple processing on images or curves, the second being an interpretative language identical to BASIC, very easy to learn. Before showing the offered facilities for the doctor and the computer specialist by the CINE 200, its characteristics are briefly reviewed.

Immediate and Longer-Term Stressors and the Mental Health of Hurricane Ike Survivors

OpenAIRE

Lowe, Sarah R.; Tracy, Melissa; Cerdá, Magdalena; Norris, Fran H.; Galea, Sandro

2013-01-01

Previous research has documented that individuals exposed to more stressors during disasters and their immediate aftermath (immediate stressors) are at risk of experiencing longer-term postdisaster stressors. Longer-term stressors, in turn, have been found to play a key role in shaping postdisaster psychological functioning. Few studies have simultaneously explored the links from immediate to longer-term stressors, and from longer-term stressors to psychological functioning,...

Wallops' Low Elevation Link Analysis for the Constellation Launch/Ascent Links

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Kar-Ming; Ho, Christian; Kantak, Anil; Lee, Charles; Tye, Robert; Richards, Edger; Sham, Catherine; Schlesinger, Adam; Barritt, Brian

2011-01-01

Prior to the redirection of the Constellation Program, the Wallops 11.3-meter ground station was tasked to support the Orion's Dissimilar Voice (DV) link and the Ares's Development Flight Instrument (DFI) link. Detailed analysis of the launch trajectories indicates that during the launch and ascent operation, the critical events of Orion-Ares main engine cut off (MECO) and Separation occur at low elevation angle. We worked with engineers from both Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) and Johnson Space Center (JSC) to perform an intensive measurement and link analysis campaign on the DV and DFI links. The main results were as follows: (1) The DV links have more than 3 dB margin at MECO and Separation. (2) The DFI links have 0 dB margin at Separation during certain weather condition in summer season. (3) Tropospheric scintillation loss is the major impairment at low elevation angle. (4) The current scintillation models in the Recommendation ITU-R P.618 (Propagation data and prediction methods required for the design of Earth-space telecommunication systems), which are based on limited experimental and theoretical work, exhibit idiosyncratic behaviors. We developed an improved model based on the measurements of recent Shuttle mission launch and ascent links and the ITU propagation data. (5) Due to the attitude uncertainty of the Orion-Ares stack, the high dynamics of the launch and ascent trajectory, and the irregularity of the Orion and Ares antenna patterns, we employed new link analysis approach to model the spacecraft antenna gain. In this paper we discuss the details of the aforementioned results.

Khovanov homology of graph-links

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nikonov, Igor M [M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2012-08-31

Graph-links arise as the intersection graphs of turning chord diagrams of links. Speaking informally, graph-links provide a combinatorial description of links up to mutations. Many link invariants can be reformulated in the language of graph-links. Khovanov homology, a well-known and useful knot invariant, is defined for graph-links in this paper (in the case of the ground field of characteristic two). Bibliography: 14 titles.

Geophysical and physical measurements applied to characterize an area prone to quick clay landslides in SW Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

Salas-Romero, Silvia; Malehmir, Alireza; Snowball, Ian; Lougheed, Bryan C.; Hellqvist, Magnus

2014-05-01

The study of quick clay landslides in Nordic countries, such as Sweden and Norway, is wide and varied. However, the occurrence of catastrophes like those in Munkedal, Sweden, in 2006, demands a more complete characterization of these materials and their extensiveness. The objectives of this research are mainly focused on obtaining information about the properties and behavior of quick clays in an area prone to landslides in southwestern Sweden. Two fieldwork campaigns were carried out in 2011 and 2013, using methods such as 2D and 3D P-wave and S-wave seismic, geoelectrics, controlled-source and radio-magnetotellurics, ground gravity, as well as downhole geophysics (measuring fluid temperature and conductivity, gamma radiation, sonic velocity and resistivity) performed in three boreholes located in the study area. Drill cores recovered using the SONIC technique provided samples for paleontological information, as well as laboratory measurements of physical properties of the subsurface materials to a maximum subsurface depth of about 60 m. The laboratory measurements included grain size analysis, mineral magnetic properties, electric conductivity, pH, salinity, total dissolved solids, x-ray fluorescence (XRF), and a reconnaissance study of the fossil content. A correlation study of the downhole geophysical measurements, 2D seismic sections located at the intersection with the boreholes and the sample observations indicated that the presence of quick clays is associated with contacts with coarse-grained materials. Although the PVC casing of the boreholes interferes with the sonic and resistivity measurements, the perforated parts of the PVC casing show significant changes. The most important variations in magnetic susceptibility and conductivity mostly coincide with these coarse-grained layers, supporting the seismic data. Coarse-grained layers are characterized by enhanced magnetic susceptibility and conductivity. Grain size analysis results on subsamples from the

A Near-Term Concept for Trajectory Based Operations with Air/Ground Data Link Communication

Science.gov (United States)

McNally, David; Mueller, Eric; Thipphavong, David; Paielli, Russell; Cheng, Jinn-Hwei; Lee, Chuhan; Sahlman, Scott; Walton, Joe

2010-01-01

An operating concept and required system components for trajectory-based operations with air/ground data link for today's en route and transition airspace is proposed. Controllers are fully responsible for separation as they are today, and no new aircraft equipage is required. Trajectory automation computes integrated solutions to problems like metering, weather avoidance, traffic conflicts and the desire to find and fly more time/fuel efficient flight trajectories. A common ground-based system supports all levels of aircraft equipage and performance including those equipped and not equipped for data link. User interface functions for the radar controller's display make trajectory-based clearance advisories easy to visualize, modify if necessary, and implement. Laboratory simulations (without human operators) were conducted to test integrated operation of selected system components with uncertainty modeling. Results are based on 102 hours of Fort Worth Center traffic recordings involving over 37,000 individual flights. The presence of uncertainty had a marginal effect (5%) on minimum-delay conflict resolution performance, and windfavorable routes had no effect on detection and resolution metrics. Flight plan amendments and clearances were substantially reduced compared to today s operations. Top-of-descent prediction errors are the largest cause of failure indicating that better descent predictions are needed to reliably achieve fuel-efficient descent profiles in medium to heavy traffic. Improved conflict detections for climbing flights could enable substantially more continuous climbs to cruise altitude. Unlike today s Conflict Alert, tactical automation must alert when an altitude amendment is entered, but before the aircraft starts the maneuver. In every other failure case tactical automation prevented losses of separation. A real-time prototype trajectory trajectory-automation system is running now and could be made ready for operational testing at an en route

Expressing International Educational Achievement in Terms of U.S. Performance Standards: Linking NAEP Achievement Levels to TIMSS

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Gary W.

2007-01-01

Educators, researchers, and policymakers have considerable interest in how the American educational system compares to those in other countries. One major index for comparison is student academic achievement. This paper links the scale of the "National Assessment of Educational Progress" ("NAEP") to the scale of the "Third International…

Successful Technology Commercialization – Yes or No? Improving the Odds. The Quick Look Methodology and Process

OpenAIRE

Pletcher, Gary; Zehner II, William Bradley

2017-01-01

This article explores the relationships which transform new scientific knowledge into new commercial products, services, and ventures to create wealth creation. The major technology and marketing commercialization dilemmas are defined and addressed. The Quicklook methodology and related processes to quickly assess the commercial viability and potential of a scientific research project is explained. Using the Quicklook methodology and process early in the research and development process i...

The Role of Representations in Executive Function: Investigating a Developmental Link Between Flexibility and Abstraction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria eKharitonova

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Young children often perseverate, engaging in previously correct, but no longer appropriate behaviors. One account posits that such perseveration results from the use of stimulus-specific representations of a situation, which are distinct from abstract, generalizable representations that support flexible behavior. Previous findings supported this account, demonstrating that only children who flexibly switch between rules could generalize their behavior to novel stimuli. However, this link between flexibility and generalization might reflect general cognitive abilities, or depend upon similarities across the measures or their temporal order. The current work examined these issues by testing the specificity and generality of this link. In two experiments with three-year-old children, flexibility was measured in terms of switching between rules in a card-sorting task, while abstraction was measured in terms of selecting which stimulus did not belong in an odd-one-out task. The link between flexibility and abstraction was general across (1 abstraction dimensions similar to or different from those in the card-sorting task and (2 abstraction tasks that preceded or followed the switching task. Good performance on abstraction and flexibility measures did not extend to all cognitive tasks, including an IQ measure, and dissociated from children’s ability to gaze at the correct stimulus in the odd-one-out task, suggesting that the link between flexibility and abstraction is specific to such measures, rather than reflecting general abilities that affect all tasks. We interpret these results in terms of the role that developing prefrontal cortical regions play in processes such as working memory, which can support both flexibility and abstraction.

Building an archive of Arctic-Boreal animal movements and links to remote sensing data

Science.gov (United States)

Bohrer, G.; Handler, M.; Davidson, S. C.; Boelman, N.

2017-12-01

Climate is changing in the Arctic and Boreal regions of North America more quickly than anywhere else on the planet. The impact of climate changes on wildlife in the region is difficult to assess, as they occur over decades, while wildlife monitoring programs have been in place for relatively short periods, have used a variety of data collection methods, and are not integrated across studies and governmental agencies. Further, linking wildlife movements to measures of weather and climate is impeded by the challenge of accessing environmental data products and differences in spatiotemporal scale. To analyze the impact of long-term changes in weather and habitat conditions on wildlife movements, we built an archive of avian, predator and ungulate movements throughout the Arctic-Boreal region. The archive is compiled and hosted in Movebank, a free, web-based service for managing animal movement data. Using Movebank allows us to securely manage data within a single database while supporting project-specific terms of use and access rights. By importing the data to the Movebank database, they are converted to a standard data format, reviewed for quality and completeness, and made easily accessible for analysis through the R package 'move'. In addition, the Env-DATA System in Movebank allows easy annotation of these and related time-location records with hundreds of environmental variables provided by global remote sensing and weather data products, including MODIS Land, Snow and Ice products, the ECMWF and NARR weather reanalyses, and others. The ABoVE Animal Movement Archive includes 6.6 million locations of over 3,000 animals collected by 50 programs and studies, contributed by over 25 collaborating institutions, with data extending from 1988 to the present. Organizing the data on Movebank has enabled collaboration and metaanalysis and has also improved their quality and completeness. The ABoVE Animal Movement Archive provides a platform actively used by data

Thermal power terms in the Einstein-dilaton system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuo, Fen

2014-01-01

We employ the gauge/string duality to study the thermal power terms of various thermodynamic quantities in gauge theories and the renormalized Polyakov loop above the deconfinement phase transition. We restrict ourselves to the five-dimensional Einstein gravity coupled to a single scalar, the dilaton. The asymptotic solutions of the system for a general dilaton potential are employed to study the power contributions of various quantities. If the dilaton is dual to the dimension-4 operator TrF μν 2 , no power corrections would be generated. Then the thermal quantities approach their asymptotic values much more quickly than those observed in lattice simulation. When the dimension of the dual operator is different from 4, various power terms are generated. The lowest power contributions to the thermal quantities are always quadratic in the dilaton, while that of the Polyakov loop is linear. As a result, the quadratic terms in inverse temperature for both the trace anomaly and the Polyakov loop, observed in lattice simulation, cannot be implemented consistently in the system. This is in accordance with the field theory expectation, where no gauge-invariant operator can accommodate such contributions. Two simple models, where the dilaton is dual to operators with different dimensions, are studied in detail to clarify the conclusion.

On the capacity of radio-over-fiber links at the W-band

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cavalcante, Lucas Costa Pereira; Rommel, Simon; Rodríguez Páez, Juan Sebastián

2016-01-01

provide a set of trade-off maps in terms of crucial resources on the design of W-band RoF links. The proposed framework offers a unified view for answering how fundamental spectrum resources can be optimally utilized, and how far we are from overcoming the challenge of offering seamless convergence...

Validation of the Dutch version of the quick mild cognitive impairment screen (Qmci-D).

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Bunt, Steven

2015-10-01

Differentiating mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from dementia is important, as treatment options differ. There are few short (<5 min) but accurate screening tools that discriminate between MCI, normal cognition (NC) and dementia, in the Dutch language. The Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Qmci) screen is sensitive and specific in differentiating MCI from NC and mild dementia. Given this, we adapted the Qmci for use in Dutch-language countries and validated the Dutch version, the Qmci-D, against the Dutch translation of the Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE-D).

Return to football and long-term clinical outcomes after thumb ulnar collateral ligament suture anchor repair in collegiate athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, Brian C; Hadeed, Michael M; Lyons, Matthew L; Gluck, Joshua S; Diduch, David R; Chhabra, A Bobby

2014-10-01

To evaluate return to play after complete thumb ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury treated with suture anchor repair for both skill position and non-skill position collegiate football athletes and report minimum 2-year clinical outcomes in this population. For this retrospective study, inclusion criteria were complete rupture of the thumb UCL and suture anchor repair in a collegiate football athlete performed by a single surgeon who used an identical technique for all patients. Data collection included chart review, determination of return to play, and Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) outcomes. A total of 18 collegiate football athletes were identified, all of whom were evaluated for follow-up by telephone, e-mail, or regular mail at an average 6-year follow-up. Nine were skill position players; the remaining 9 played in nonskill positions. All players returned to at least the same level of play. The average QuickDASH score for the entire cohort was 1 out of 100; QuickDASH work score, 0 out of 100; and sport score, 1 out of 100. Average time to surgery for skill position players was 12 days compared with 43 for non-skill position players. Average return to play for skill position players was 7 weeks postoperatively compared with 4 weeks for non-skill position players. There was no difference in average QuickDASH overall scores or subgroup scores between cohorts. Collegiate football athletes treated for thumb UCL injuries with suture anchor repair had quick return to play, reliable return to the same level of activity, and excellent long-term clinical outcomes. Skill position players had surgery sooner after injury and returned to play later than non-skill position players, with no differences in final level of play or clinical outcomes. Management of thumb UCL injuries in collegiate football athletes can be safely and effectively tailored according to the demands of the player's football position. Therapeutic IV. Copyright © 2014

Active link selection for efficient semi-supervised community detection

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Liang; Jin, Di; Wang, Xiao; Cao, Xiaochun

2015-01-01

Several semi-supervised community detection algorithms have been proposed recently to improve the performance of traditional topology-based methods. However, most of them focus on how to integrate supervised information with topology information; few of them pay attention to which information is critical for performance improvement. This leads to large amounts of demand for supervised information, which is expensive or difficult to obtain in most fields. For this problem we propose an active link selection framework, that is we actively select the most uncertain and informative links for human labeling for the efficient utilization of the supervised information. We also disconnect the most likely inter-community edges to further improve the efficiency. Our main idea is that, by connecting uncertain nodes to their community hubs and disconnecting the inter-community edges, one can sharpen the block structure of adjacency matrix more efficiently than randomly labeling links as the existing methods did. Experiments on both synthetic and real networks demonstrate that our new approach significantly outperforms the existing methods in terms of the efficiency of using supervised information. It needs ~13% of the supervised information to achieve a performance similar to that of the original semi-supervised approaches. PMID:25761385

Quick, Quick, Slow

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Will

2008-01-01

As someone more at home in jeans and pumps it was a bit of a shock. The author could not quite get used to the sight of his feet in his father-in-law's black and pointy dancing shoes. Jennie, more often seen in trainers or steel-capped boots, had on a pair of strappy heels she'd borrowed from her mum. They felt like kids dressing up in their…

A map between corner and link operators in lattice gauge theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bars, I.

1979-01-01

A completely local gauge-invariant lattice gauge theory is formulated in terms of a new set of variables introduced earlier in the continuum. This theory uses local 'corner' variables defined on lattice sites only, as opposed to the conventional 'link' variables. It is shown via a map that the formulation gives identical results to the usual lattice gauge theory. The properties of the quantum commutators in the continuum limit is also discussed and contrasted for the two lattice approaches. In terms of the corner operators the quantized lattice theory is seen to be closely related to continuum QCD. (Auth.)

Developing Coastal Surface Roughness Maps Using ASTER and QuickBird Data Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Spruce, Joe; Berglund, Judith; Davis, Bruce

2006-01-01

This viewgraph presentation regards one element of a larger project on the integration of NASA science models and data into the Hazards U.S. Multi-Hazard (HAZUS-MH) Hurricane module for hurricane damage and loss risk assessment. HAZUS-MH is a decision support tool being developed by the National Institute of Building Sciences for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It includes the Hurricane Module, which employs surface roughness maps made from National Land Cover Data (NLCD) maps to estimate coastal hurricane wind damage and loss. NLCD maps are produced and distributed by the U.S. Geological Survey. This presentation discusses an effort to improve upon current HAZUS surface roughness maps by employing ASTER multispectral classifications with QuickBird "ground reference" imagery.

Unreported links between trial registrations and published articles were identified using document similarity measures in a cross-sectional analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Adam G; Coiera, Enrico; Bourgeois, Florence T

2018-03-01

Trial registries can be used to measure reporting biases and support systematic reviews, but 45% of registrations do not provide a link to the article reporting on the trial. We evaluated the use of document similarity methods to identify unreported links between ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed. We extracted terms and concepts from a data set of 72,469 ClinicalTrials.gov registrations and 276,307 PubMed articles and tested methods for ranking articles across 16,005 reported links and 90 manually identified unreported links. Performance was measured by the median rank of matching articles and the proportion of unreported links that could be found by screening ranked candidate articles in order. The best-performing concept-based representation produced a median rank of 3 (interquartile range [IQR] 1-21) for reported links and 3 (IQR 1-19) for the manually identified unreported links, and term-based representations produced a median rank of 2 (1-20) for reported links and 2 (IQR 1-12) in unreported links. The matching article was ranked first for 40% of registrations, and screening 50 candidate articles per registration identified 86% of the unreported links. Leveraging the growth in the corpus of reported links between ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed, we found that document similarity methods can assist in the identification of unreported links between trial registrations and corresponding articles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sleep Detriments Associated With Quick Returns in Rotating Shift Work: A Diary Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Vedaa, Øystein; Mørland, Erik; Larsen, Marit; Harris, Anette; Erevik, Eilin; Sivertsen, Børge; Bjorvatn, Bjørn; Waage, Siri; Pallesen, Ståle

2017-06-01

We aimed to compared sleep characteristics associated with quick returns (QRs, sleep diary (94.0% female, mean age 47.7 years). A multilevel fixed effects model was used to examine the sleep in QRs compared with two consecutive night shifts, two consecutive evening shifts, and two consecutive day shifts, respectively. None of the other shift transitions studied encumbered as many detriments as QRs, which included short sleep duration (5.6 hours), slightly prolonged sleep onset latency, more abrupt ending of main sleep period, increased sleepiness, and higher level of perceived stress on the following shift. The study emphasizes the need for sufficient time for rest and recuperation between shifts.

Phosphorylation of human link proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oester, D.A.; Caterson, B.; Schwartz, E.R.

1986-01-01

Three link proteins of 48, 44 and 40 kDa were purified from human articular cartilage and identified with monoclonal anti-link protein antibody 8-A-4. Two sets of lower molecular weight proteins of 30-31 kDa and 24-26 kDa also contained link protein epitopes recognized by the monoclonal antibody and were most likely degradative products of the intact link proteins. The link proteins of 48 and 40 kDa were identified as phosphoproteins while the 44 kDa link protein did not contain 32 P. The phosphorylated 48 and 40 kDa link proteins contained approximately 2 moles PO 4 /mole link protein

76 FR 13661 - In the Matter of Certain Connecting Devices (“Quick Clamps”) for Use With Modular Compressed Air...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-14

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 337-TA-587] In the Matter of Certain Connecting Devices (``Quick Clamps'') for Use With Modular Compressed Air Conditioning Units, Including Filters... within the United States after importation of certain devices for modular compressed air conditioning...

A simple, high-throughput method to detect Plasmodium falciparum single nucleotide polymorphisms in the dihydrofolate reductase, dihydropteroate synthase, and P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter genes using polymerase chain reaction- and enzyme-linked immunosorbent

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alifrangis, Michael; Enosse, Sonia; Pearce, Richard

2005-01-01

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr), and dihydropteroate synthetase (dhps), and chloroquine resistance transporter (Pfcrt) genes are used as molecular markers of P. falciparum resistance to sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine and chloroquine....... However, to be a practical tool in the surveillance of drug resistance, simpler methods for high-throughput haplotyping are warranted. Here we describe a quick and simple technique that detects dhfr, dhps, and Pfcrt SNPs using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)- and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA...

An Integrated Approach for Reliable Facility Location/Network Design Problem with Link Disruption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Davood Shishebori

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Proposing a robust designed facility location is one of the most effective ways to hedge against unexpected disruptions and failures in a transportation network system. This paper considers the combined facility location/network design problem with regard to transportation link disruptions and develops a mixed integer linear programming formulation to model it. With respect to the probability of link disruptions, the objective function of the model minimizes the total costs, including location costs, link construction costs and also the expected transportation costs. An efficient hybrid algorithm based on LP relaxation and variable neighbourhood search metaheuristic is developed in order to solve the mathematical model. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid algorithm has suitable efficiency in terms of duration of solution time and determining excellent solution quality.

Narcissism and the Strategic Pursuit of Short-Term Mating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmitt, David P.; Alcalay, Lidia; Allik, Jüri

2017-01-01

Previous studies have documented links between sub-clinical narcissism and the active pursuit of short-term mating strategies (e.g., unrestricted sociosexuality, marital infidelity, mate poaching). Nearly all of these investigations have relied solely on samples from Western cultures. In the curr...... limitations of these cross-culturally universal findings and presents suggestions for future research into revealing the precise psychological features of narcissism that facilitate the strategic pursuit of short-term mating....

LinkImputeR: user-guided genotype calling and imputation for non-model organisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Money, Daniel; Migicovsky, Zoë; Gardner, Kyle; Myles, Sean

2017-07-10

NGS technologies. It enables the user to quickly and easily examine the effects of varying thresholds and filters on the number and quality of the resulting genotype calls. In this manner, users can decide on thresholds that are most suitable for their purposes. We show that LinkImputeR can significantly augment the value and utility of NGS data sets, especially in non-model organisms with poor genomic resources.

Quickly Updatable Hologram Images Using Poly(N-vinyl Carbazole (PVCz Photorefractive Polymer Composite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wataru Sakai

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Quickly updatable hologram images using photorefractive (PR polymer composite based on poly(N-vinyl carbazole (PVCz is presented. PVCz is one of the pioneer materials of photoconductive polymers. PR polymer composite consists of 44 wt % of PVCz, 35 wt % of 4-azacycloheptylbenzylidene-malonitrile (7-DCST as a nonlinear optical dye, 20 wt % of carbazolylethylpropionate (CzEPA as a photoconductive plasticizer and 1 wt % of 2,4,7-trinitro-9-fluorenone (TNF as a sensitizer. PR composite gives high diffraction efficiency of 68% at E = 45 V μm⁻¹. Response speed of optical diffraction is the key parameter for real-time 3D holographic display. The key parameter for obtaining quickly updatable holographic images is to control the glass transition temperature lower enough to enhance chromophore orientation. Object image of the reflected coin surface recorded with reference beam at 532 nm (green beam in the PR polymer composite is simultaneously reconstructed using a red probe beam at 642 nm. Instead of using a coin object, an object image produced by a computer was displayed on a spatial light modulator (SLM and used for the hologram. The reflected object beam from an SLM was interfered with a reference beam on PR polymer composite to record a hologram and simultaneously reconstructed by a red probe beam.

[Object-oriented segmentation and classification of forest gap based on QuickBird remote sensing image.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Xue Gang; Du, Zi Han; Liu, Jia Qian; Chen, Shu Xin; Hou, Ji Yu

2018-01-01

Traditional field investigation and artificial interpretation could not satisfy the need of forest gaps extraction at regional scale. High spatial resolution remote sensing image provides the possibility for regional forest gaps extraction. In this study, we used object-oriented classification method to segment and classify forest gaps based on QuickBird high resolution optical remote sensing image in Jiangle National Forestry Farm of Fujian Province. In the process of object-oriented classification, 10 scales (10-100, with a step length of 10) were adopted to segment QuickBird remote sensing image; and the intersection area of reference object (RA or ) and intersection area of segmented object (RA os ) were adopted to evaluate the segmentation result at each scale. For segmentation result at each scale, 16 spectral characteristics and support vector machine classifier (SVM) were further used to classify forest gaps, non-forest gaps and others. The results showed that the optimal segmentation scale was 40 when RA or was equal to RA os . The accuracy difference between the maximum and minimum at different segmentation scales was 22%. At optimal scale, the overall classification accuracy was 88% (Kappa=0.82) based on SVM classifier. Combining high resolution remote sensing image data with object-oriented classification method could replace the traditional field investigation and artificial interpretation method to identify and classify forest gaps at regional scale.

Long-term survivorship of stemless anatomical shoulder replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Sascha; Beck, Verena; Wegner, Alexander; Dudda, Marcel; Patsalis, Theodor; Jäger, Marcus

2018-01-24

Like in many other joints, current shoulder replacement designs aim at bone preservation. According to the literature available, stemless total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) compares favourably with stemmed designs in terms of function and survivorship of the implant. However, long-term results of stemless shoulder arthroplasty are still missing. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate long-term results of stemless anatomical TSA. Between 2006 and 2009, 51 shoulders in 46 patients were resurfaced using the Biomet Total Evolutive Shoulder System (TESS). Thirty-one shoulders in 26 patients who were aged 66.7 ± 10.0 (range 34-82) years were available for review at a mean follow-up of 94.7 ± 11.3 (76-124) months. The implant survival rate was 93.5% at eight years. The overall revision rate of the TESS implant was 9.7%. Radiolucent lines were found on the glenoid side of the TESS arthroplasty in 90.9% of the cases. All stemless humeral corolla implants showed solid fixation at follow-up. Clinical scores significantly improved at long-term follow-up (VAS from 8.1 ± 0.9 to 1.0 ± 1.2, p < 0.001; Quick-DASH from 67.9 ± 13.5 to 18.7 ± 16.5, p < 0.001 and Constant score from 14.7 ± 6.1 to 68.8 ± 13.2, p < 0.001). Stemless TSA has stood the test of time at eight years in terms of clinical scores, radiographic loosening, complication rates and implant survivorship.

Cellular Links Between Neuronal Activity and Energy Homeostasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavan K Shetty

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Neuronal activity, astrocytic responses to this activity, and energy homeostasis are linked together during baseline, conscious conditions, and short-term rapid activation (as occurs with sensory or motor function. Nervous system energy homeostasis also varies during long-term physiological conditions (ie, development and aging and with adaptation to pathological conditions, such as ischemia or low glucose. Neuronal activation requires increased metabolism (i.e., ATP generation which leads initially to substrate depletion, induction of a variety of signals for enhanced astrocytic function, and increased local blood flow and substrate delivery. Energy generation (particularly in mitochondria and use during ATP hydrolysis also lead to considerable heat generation. The local increases in blood flow noted following neuronal activation can both enhance local substrate delivery but also provides a heat sink to help cool the brain and removal of waste byproducts. In this review we highlight the interactions between short-term neuronal activity and energy metabolism with an emphasis on signals and factors regulating astrocyte function and substrate supply.

Weighted integration of short-term memory and sensory signals in the oculomotor system.

Science.gov (United States)

Deravet, Nicolas; Blohm, Gunnar; de Xivry, Jean-Jacques Orban; Lefèvre, Philippe

2018-05-01

Oculomotor behaviors integrate sensory and prior information to overcome sensory-motor delays and noise. After much debate about this process, reliability-based integration has recently been proposed and several models of smooth pursuit now include recurrent Bayesian integration or Kalman filtering. However, there is a lack of behavioral evidence in humans supporting these theoretical predictions. Here, we independently manipulated the reliability of visual and prior information in a smooth pursuit task. Our results show that both smooth pursuit eye velocity and catch-up saccade amplitude were modulated by visual and prior information reliability. We interpret these findings as the continuous reliability-based integration of a short-term memory of target motion with visual information, which support modeling work. Furthermore, we suggest that saccadic and pursuit systems share this short-term memory. We propose that this short-term memory of target motion is quickly built and continuously updated, and constitutes a general building block present in all sensorimotor systems.

RDA and the Semantic Web, Linked Data Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara Tillett

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Connecting to friends, colleagues, customers, and others on the internet is an everyday experience for most people these days. We use email, Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking systems quickly and easily when there is wifi or an internet service provider that reaches our geographic location – even as we move around. This change in our communication systems even extends sometimes to replacing phone calls with communications like Skype or Facetime. A former phone communication can now be a multi-media experience where you not only talk but also see each other (or groups of people, share pictures or videos or documents quickly and easily all at the same time. Where are libraries in this world?

The EMeRGE modular robot, an open platform for quick testing of evolved robot morphologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moreno Garcia, Rodrigo; Liu, Ceyue; Faina, Andres

2017-01-01

This work presents the hardware design and implementation of the EMeRGE open modular robot platform. EMeRGE (Easy Modular Embodied Robot Generation) modules are designed to be cheap and easy to build and their hardware is open for anyone to use and modify. Four magnetic connectors enable the quick...... assembly of different complex robot morphologies like the ones generated by evolutionary robotics experiments. Non-human agents, like robotic manipulators, can also take advantage of the magnetic connectors to assemble and disassemble morphologies....

Vitamin E diffused highly cross-linked polyethylene in total hip arthroplasty at five years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nebergall, Audrey K; Greene, M. E.; Laursen, M B

2017-01-01

Aims: The objective of this five-year prospective, blinded, randomised controlled trial (RCT) was to compare femoral head penetration into a Vitamin E diffused highly cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE) liner with penetration into a medium cross-linked polyethylene control liner using......, ArComXL. This is the longest-term RCT comparing the wear performance and clinical outcome of Vitamin E diffused HXLPE with a previous generation of medium cross-linked polyethylene....... radiostereometric analysis. Patients and Methods: Patients scheduled for total hip arthroplasty (THA) were randomised to receive either the study E1 (32 patients) or the control ArComXL polyethylene (35 patients). The median age (range) of the overall cohort was 66 years (40 to 76). Results: The five-year median...

Fluorescent Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) as a Highly Sensitive and Quickly Responsive Chemical Sensor for the Detection of Antibiotics in Simulated Wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xian-Dong; Zhang, Kun; Wang, Yu; Long, Wei-Wei; Sa, Rong-Jian; Liu, Tian-Fu; Lü, Jian

2018-02-05

A Zn(II)-based fluorescent metal-organic framework (MOF) was synthesized and applied as a highly sensitive and quickly responsive chemical sensor for antibiotic detection in simulated wastewater. The fluorescent chemical sensor, denoted FCS-1, exhibited enhanced fluorescence derived from its highly ordered, 3D MOF structure as well as excellent water stability in the practical pH range of simulated antibiotic wastewater (pH = 3.0-9.0). Remarkably, FCS-1 was able to effectively detect a series of sulfonamide antibiotics via photoinduced electron transfer that caused detectable fluorescence quenching, with fairly low detection limits. Two influences impacting measurements related to wastewater treatment and water quality monitoring, the presence of heavy-metal ions and the pH of solutions, were studied in terms of fluorescence quenching, which was nearly unaffected in sulfonamide-antibiotic detection. Additionally, the effective detection of sulfonamide antibiotics was rationalized by the theoretical computation of the energy bands of sulfonamide antibiotics, which revealed a good match between the energy bands of FCS-1 and sulfonamide antibiotics, in connection with fluorescence quenching in this system.

A ''quick DYECET'' method for ECE particle tracks in polymer detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sohrabi, M.; Mahdi, S.

1993-01-01

The new dyed electrochemically etched track (DEYCET) method recently developed at the National Radiation Protection Department (NRPD) of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) using sensitization and dyeing steps is a useful and powerful method for dyeing charged particle and neutron-induced-recoil tracks in polymer detectors. This original DYECET method is effective but time consuming due to the steps for sensitization and dyeing which usually takes several hours. A ''Quick DYECET'' method, also recently developed in our laboratory, is introduced in this paper which dyes ECE tracks effectively in different colours within a few minutes. This new method can dye ECE tracks, cracks, fractures and fractals with different water and/or alcohol soluble dyes using cold or hot dyebaths. The method provides a high contrast and a high resolution of ECE tracks for visual track counting especially at high track densities. Some preliminary results are reported and discussed. (author)

Carbon emission trading system of China: a linked market vs. separated markets

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yu; Feng, Shenghao; Cai, Songfeng; Zhang, Yaxiong; Zhou, Xiang; Chen, Yanbin; Chen, Zhanming

2013-12-01

The Chinese government intends to upgrade its current provincial carbon emission trading pilots to a nationwide scheme by 2015. This study investigates two of scenarios: separated provincial markets and a linked inter-provincial market. The carbon abatement effects of separated and linked markets are compared using two pilot provinces of Hubei and Guangdong based on a computable general equilibrium model termed Sino-TERMCo2. Simulation results show that the linked market can improve social welfare and reduce carbon emission intensity for the nation as well as for the Hubei-Guangdong bloc compared to the separated market. However, the combined system also distributes welfare more unevenly and thus increases social inequity. On the policy ground, the current results suggest that a well-constructed, nationwide carbon market complemented with adequate welfare transfer policies can be employed to replace the current top-down abatement target disaggregation practice.

Coherence of Physics and Chemistry Curricula in Terms of the Electron Concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elena, Ivanova

2016-01-01

One of the major contradictions in subject teaching is the contradiction between the unity of the world and the discrete separated generalized content of natural sciences that study natural phenomena. These are physics, chemistry, biology and more. One can eliminate the conflict if opens the content's interdisciplinary links set by the events that are studied by different disciplines. The corresponding contexts of the phenomenon content arise depending on the discipline, and they are not enough coordinated. Obviously, we need a mechanism that allows establishing interdisciplinary links in the content quickly and without losing the logic of the material and assess their coherence in academic disciplines. This article uses a quantitative method of coherence assessment elaborated by T.N. Gnitetskaya. The definition of the concept of the semantic state introduced by the authors is given in this article. The method is applied to coherence assessment of physics and chemistry textbooks. The coherence of two pairs of chemistry and physics textbooks by different authors in different combinations was calculated. The most cohered pairs of textbooks (chemistry-physics) were identified. One can recommend using the pair of textbooks for eighth grade that we offered that favors the development of holistic understandings of the world around us. (paper)

Coherence of Physics and Chemistry Curricula in Terms of the Electron Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Elena, Ivanova

2016-08-01

One of the major contradictions in subject teaching is the contradiction between the unity of the world and the discrete separated generalized content of natural sciences that study natural phenomena. These are physics, chemistry, biology and more. One can eliminate the conflict if opens the content's interdisciplinary links set by the events that are studied by different disciplines. The corresponding contexts of the phenomenon content arise depending on the discipline, and they are not enough coordinated. Obviously, we need a mechanism that allows establishing interdisciplinary links in the content quickly and without losing the logic of the material and assess their coherence in academic disciplines. This article uses a quantitative method of coherence assessment elaborated by T.N. Gnitetskaya. The definition of the concept of the semantic state introduced by the authors is given in this article. The method is applied to coherence assessment of physics and chemistry textbooks. The coherence of two pairs of chemistry and physics textbooks by different authors in different combinations was calculated. The most cohered pairs of textbooks (chemistry-physics) were identified. One can recommend using the pair of textbooks for eighth grade that we offered that favors the development of holistic understandings of the world around us.

Short-term versus long-term market opportunities and financial constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrari, Angelo

1999-01-01

This presentation discusses gas developments in Europe, the European Gas Directive, short term vs. long term, and Snam's new challenges. The European gas market is characterized by (1) The role of gas in meeting the demand for energy, which varies greatly from one country to another, (2) A growing market, (3) Decreasing role of domestic production, and (4) Increasing imports. Within the European Union, the Gas Directive aims to transform single national markets into one integrated European market by introducing third party access to the network for eligible clients as a means of increasing the competition between operators. The Gas Directive would appear to modify the form of the market rather than its size, and in particular the sharing of responsibility and risk among operators. The market in the future will offer operators the possibility to exploit opportunities deriving mainly from demands for increased flexibility. Opportunities linked to entrepreneurial initiatives require long-term investments characteristic of the gas business. Risks and opportunities must be balanced evenly between different operators. If everyone takes on their own risks and responsibilities, this means a wider distribution of the risks of long-term vs. short-term, currently borne by the gas companies that are integrated, into a market that tends to favour the short-term. A gradual liberalization process should allow incumbent operators to gradually diversify their activities in new gas market areas or enter new business activities. They could move beyond their local and European boundaries in pursuit of an international dimension. The market will have to make the transition from the national to the European dimension: as an example, Snam covers 90% of the Italian market, but its share of an integrated European market will be about 15%

On the link between ExB sheared flows and rational surfaces in fusion plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hidalgo, C.; Erents, K.; Matthews, G.

2000-11-01

Experimental evidence of flattening in plasma profiles has been observed in the edge region of the JET tokamak. This observation has been interpreted in terms of the influence of rational surfaces on plasma profiles. In the framework of this interpretation, significant ExB sheared flows linked to rational surfaces have been identified. These ExB sheared flows are close to the critical value to trigger the transition to improved confinement regimes. These results can explain the link between the magnetic topology and the generation of transport barriers reported in fusion devices. (author)

Patterns of Gram-stained fecal flora as a quick diagnostic marker in patients with severe SIRS.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Kentaro; Ogura, Hiroshi; Tomono, Kazunori; Tasaki, Osamu; Asahara, Takashi; Nomoto, Koji; Morotomi, Masami; Matsushima, Asako; Nakahori, Yasutaka; Yamano, Shuhei; Osuka, Akinori; Kuwagata, Yasuyuki; Sugimoto, Hisashi

2011-06-01

The gut is an important target organ of injury during critically ill conditions. Although Gram staining is a common and quick method for identifying bacteria, its clinical application has not been fully evaluated in critically ill conditions. This study's aims were to identify patterns of Gram-stained fecal flora and compare them to cultured bacterial counts and to investigate the association between the patterns and septic complications in patients with severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Fifty-two patients with SIRS were included whose Gram-stained fecal flora was classified into three patterns. In a diverse pattern, large numbers of multiple kinds of bacteria completely covered the field. In a single pattern, one specific kind of bacteria or fungi predominantly covered the field. In a depleted pattern, most bacteria were diminished in the field. In the analysis of fecal flora, the numbers of total obligate anaerobes in the depleted pattern was significantly lower than those in the diverse pattern and single pattern (p Gram-stained fecal flora can be classified into three patterns and are associated with both cultured bacterial counts and clinical information. Gram-stained fecal bacteria can be used as a quick bedside diagnostic marker for severe SIRS patients.

Quick detection of QRS complexes and R-waves using a wavelet transform and K-means clustering.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Yong; Han, Junze; Wang, Kuanquan

2015-01-01

Based on the idea of telemedicine, 24-hour uninterrupted monitoring on electrocardiograms (ECG) has started to be implemented. To create an intelligent ECG monitoring system, an efficient and quick detection algorithm for the characteristic waveforms is needed. This paper aims to give a quick and effective method for detecting QRS-complexes and R-waves in ECGs. The real ECG signal from the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database is used for the performance evaluation. The method proposed combined a wavelet transform and the K-means clustering algorithm. A wavelet transform is adopted in the data analysis and preprocessing. Then, based on the slope information of the filtered data, a segmented K-means clustering method is adopted to detect the QRS region. Detection of the R-peak is based on comparing the local amplitudes in each QRS region, which is different from other approaches, and the time cost of R-wave detection is reduced. Of the tested 8 records (total 18201 beats) from the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database, an average R-peak detection sensitivity of 99.72 and a positive predictive value of 99.80% are gained; the average time consumed detecting a 30-min original signal is 5.78s, which is competitive with other methods.

An Account of Performance in Accessing Information Stored in Long-Term Memory. A Fixed-Links Model Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Altmeyer, Michael; Schweizer, Karl; Reiss, Siegbert; Ren, Xuezhu; Schreiner, Michael

2013-01-01

Performance in working memory and short-term memory tasks was employed for predicting performance in a long-term memory task in order to find out about the underlying processes. The types of memory were represented by versions of the Posner Task, the Backward Counting Task and the Sternberg Task serving as measures of long-term memory, working…

TULIP: A Link-Level Protocol for Improving TCP over Wireless Links

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Parsa, Christina; Garcia-Luna-Aceves, J. J

1999-01-01

We present the transport unaware link improvement protocol (TULIP), which dramatically improves the performance of TCP over lossy wireless links, without competing with or modifying the transport- or network-layer protocols...

Dynamic link: user's manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harada, Hiroo; Asai, Kiyoshi; Kihara, Kazuhisa.

1981-09-01

The purpose of dynamic link facility is to link a load module dynamically only when it is used in execution time. The facility is very useful for development, execution and maintenance of a large scale computer program which is too big to be saved as one load module in main memory, or it is poor economy to save it due to many unused subroutines depending on an input. It is also useful for standardization and common utilization of programs. Standard usage of dynamic link facility of FACOM M-200 computer system, a software tool which analyzes the effect of dynamic link facility and application of dynamic link to nuclear codes are described. (author)

Third party bargaining and contract terms: a link over time?

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, John M; Doucette, William R; Sorofman, Bernard A

2002-01-01

To evaluate whether prior pharmacy bargaining process strategies and pharmacy dependence on third parties affect the bargaining power of pharmacies in price negotiations with third parties. One-time survey. Random sample of 900 independent and small chain pharmacies in nine states: Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Two hundred sixteen of the returned surveys contained sufficient responses for this analysis. Survey data on pharmacy bargaining power and prior pharmacy bargaining strategies, pharmacy dependence, and market characteristics were analyzed using multiple regression in a previously developed and modified provider/third party bargaining model. Pharmacy bargaining power. Pharmacy bargaining power varied across our sample. Pharmacy bargaining power was positively related to whether a pharmacy previously bargained with the third parties, negatively related to prior requests for contract changes, and negatively related to the pharmacy's dependence on third parties in total. Pharmacy bargaining power is related to the bargaining strategies employed by pharmacies during the previous year and the dependence of pharmacies on third party payers in total. With the prevalence of "take-it-or-leave-it" contracts from third parties, prior pharmacy bargaining behavior may affect the initial terms of the contracts that pharmacies are offered.

SU-F-T-60: A Quick Dose Calculation Check for Accuboost Breast Treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sen, A [Cancer Treatment Center of America, Tulsa, OK (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Accuboost treatment planning uses dwell times from a nomogram designed with Monte Carlo calculations for round and D-shaped applicators. A quick dose calculation method has been developed for verification of the HDR Brachytherapy dose as a second check. Methods: Accuboost breast treatment uses several round and D-shaped applicators to be used non-invasively with an Ir-192 source from a HDR Brachytherapy afterloader after the breast is compressed in a mammographic unit for localization. The breast thickness, source activity, the prescription dose and the applicator size are entered into a nomogram spreadsheet which gives the dwell times to be manually entered into the delivery computer. Approximating the HDR Ir-192 as a point source, and knowing the geometry of the round and D-applicators, the distances from the source positions to the midpoint of the central plane are calculated. Using the exposure constant of Ir-192 and medium as human tissue, the dose at a point is calculated as: D(cGy) = 1.254 × A × t/R2, where A is the activity in Ci, t is the dwell time in sec and R is the distance in cm. The dose from each dwell position is added to get the total dose. Results: Each fraction is delivered in two compressions: cranio-caudally and medial-laterally. A typical APBI treatment in 10 fractions requires 20 compressions. For a patient treated with D45 applicators and an average of 5.22 cm thickness, this calculation was 1.63 % higher than the prescription. For another patient using D53 applicators in the CC direction and 7 cm SDO applicators in the ML direction, this calculation was 1.31 % lower than the prescription. Conclusion: This is a simple and quick method to double check the dose on the central plane for Accuboost treatment.

PLOTLIB: a computerized nuclear waste source-term library storage and retrieval system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marshall, J.R.; Nowicki, J.A.

1978-01-01

The PLOTLIB code was written to provide computer access to the Nuclear Waste Source-Term Library for those users with little previous computer programming experience. The principles of user orientation, quick accessibility, and versatility were extensively employed in the development of the PLOTLIB code to accomplish this goal. The Nuclear Waste Source-Term Library consists of 16 ORIGEN computer runs incorporating a wide variety of differing light water reactor (LWR) fuel cycles and waste streams. The typical isotopic source-term data consist of information on watts, curies, grams, etc., all of which are compiled as a function of time after reactor discharge and unitized on a per metric ton heavy metal basis. The information retrieval code, PLOTLIB, is used to process source-term information requests into computer plots and/or user-specified output tables. This report will serve both as documentation of the current data library and as an operations manual for the PLOTLIB computer code. The accompanying input description, program listing, and sample problems make this code package an easily understood tool for the various nuclear waste studies under way at the Office of Waste Isolation

Evaluation and Comparison of QuickBird and ADS40-SH52 Multispectral Imagery for Mapping Iberian Wild Pear Trees (Pyrus bourgaeana, Decne in a Mediterranean Mixed Forest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvador Arenas-Castro

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The availability of images with very high spatial and spectral resolution from airborne sensors or those aboard satellites is opening new possibilities for the analysis of fine-scale vegetation, such as the identification and classification of individual tree species. To evaluate the potential of these images, a study was carried out to compare the spatial, spectral and temporal resolution between QuickBird and ADS40-SH52 imagery, in order to discriminate and identify, within the mixed Mediterranean forest, individuals of the Iberian wild pear (Pyrus bourgaeana. This is a typical species of the Mediterranean forest, but its biology and ecology are still poorly known. The images were subjected to different correction processes and data were homogenized. Vegetation classes and individual trees were identified on the images, which were classified from two types of supervised classification (Maximum Likelihood and Support Vector Machines on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The classification values were satisfactory. The classifiers were compared, and Support Vector Machines was the algorithm that provided the best results in terms of overall accuracy. The QuickBird image showed higher overall accuracy (86.16% when the Support Vector Machines algorithm was applied. In addition, individuals of Iberian wild pear were discriminated with probability of over 55%, when the Maximum Likelihood algorithm was applied. From the perspective of improving the sampling effort, these results are a starting point for facilitating research on the abundance, distribution and spatial structure of P. bourgaeana at different scales, in order to quantify the conservation status of this species.

Toxicity of coastal waters: use of a quick algal bioassay

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sjollema, S.B.; Booij, P; van der Geest, H.; Laane, R.; Leonards, P.; Lamoree, M..; Admiraal, W.; Vethaak, D.; de Voogt, P.

2011-01-01

Primary production by microalgae embodies the carrying capacity of marine ecosystems and is primarily linked to nutrient availability and light. However, recent studies indicate that certain industrial chemicals may have a direct impact on coastal plankton communities and hence on the carrying

Combined cross-linked enzyme aggregates of horseradish peroxidase and glucose oxidase for catalyzing cascade chemical reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Le Truc; Yang, Kun-Lin

2017-05-01

Cascade reactions involved unstable intermediates are often encountered in biological systems. In this study, we developed combined cross-linked enzyme aggregates (combi-CLEA) to catalyze a cascade reaction which involves unstable hydrogen peroxide as an intermediate. The combi-CLEA contains two enzymes̶ glucose oxidase (GOx) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) which are cross-linked together as solid aggregates. The first enzyme GOx catalyzes the oxidation of glucose and produces hydrogen peroxide, which is used by the second enzyme HRP to oxidize 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS). The apparent reaction rate of the cascade reaction reaches 10.5±0.5μM/min when the enzyme ratio is 150:1 (GOx:HRP). Interestingly, even in the presence of catalase, an enzyme that quickly decomposes hydrogen peroxide, the reaction rate only decreases by 18.7% to 8.3±0.3μM/min. This result suggests that the intermediate hydrogen peroxide is not decomposed by catalase due to a short diffusion distance between GOx and HRP in the combi-CLEA. Scanning electron microscopy images suggest that combi-CLEA particles are hollow spheres and have an average diameter around 250nm. Because of their size, combi-CLEA particles can be entrapped inside a nylon membrane for detecting glucose by using the cascade reaction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Brand Equity and Perceived Value on Customer Revisit Intention: A Study in Quick-Service Restaurants in Vietnam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ly Thi Minh Pham

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to examine how brand equity, from a customer point of view, influences quick-service restaurant revisit intention. The authors propose a conceptual framework in which three dimensions of brand equity including brand associations combined with brand awareness, perceived quality, brand loyalty and perceived value are related to revisit intention. Data from 570 customers who had visited four quick-service restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City were used for the structural equation modelling (SEM analysis. The results show that strong brand equity is significantly correlated with revisit intention. Additionally, the effect of brand equity on revisit intention was mediated by perceived value, among others. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of perceived value in lodging in the customer’s mind. Finally, managerial implications are presented based on the study results.

Impulses for Perishable Products : Quick Scan of Potato, Aquaculture, and Horticulture Cold Chain Opportunities in the Zambezi Valley, Mozambique

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brouwer, J.H.; Haverkort, A.J.; Montsma, M.P.; Rothuis, A.J.

2013-01-01

In the fast-changing Zambezi Valley in Mozambique food security is not yet a reality, despite the economic growth due to e.g. mining. Quick scans were conducted for Zambezi Valley Development Agency to assess the potential for market-driven inclusive development of three value chains: potato,

Development and validation of a quick easily used biochemical assay for evaluating the viability of small immobile arthropods.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Craig B; Iline, Ilia I; Richards, Nicola K; Novoselov, Max; McNeill, Mark R

2013-10-01

Quickly, accurately, and easily assessing the efficacy of treatments to control sessile arthropods (e.g., scale insects) and stationary immature life stages (e.g., eggs and pupae) is problematic because it is difficult to tell whether treated organisms are alive or dead. Current approaches usually involve either maintaining organisms in the laboratory to observe them for development, gauging their response to physical stimulation, or assessing morphological characters such as turgidity and color. These can be slow, technically difficult, or subjective, and the validity of methods other than laboratory rearing has seldom been tested. Here, we describe development and validation of a quick easily used biochemical colorimetric assay for measuring the viability of arthropods that is sufficiently sensitive to test even very small organisms such as white fly eggs. The assay was adapted from a technique for staining the enzyme hexokinase to signal the presence of adenosine triphosphate in viable specimens by reducing a tetrazolium salt to formazan. Basic laboratory facilities and skills are required for production of the stain, but no specialist equipment, expertise, or facilities are needed for its use.

Instrumental system for the quick relief of surface temperatures in fumaroles fields and steam heated soils

Science.gov (United States)

Diliberto, Iole; Cappuzzo, Santo; Inguaggiato, Salvatore; Cosenza, Paolo

2014-05-01

We present an instrumental system to measure and to map the space variation of the surface temperature in volcanic fields. The system is called Pirogips, its essential components are a Pyrometer and a Global Position System but also other devices useful to obtain a good performance of the operating system have been included. In the framework of investigation to define and interpret volcanic scenarios, the long-term monitoring of gas geochemistry can improve the resolution of the scientific approaches by other specific disciplines. Indeed the fluid phase is released on a continuous mode from any natural system which produces energy in excess respect to its geological boundaries. This is the case of seismic or magmatic active areas where the long-term geochemical monitoring is able to highlight, and to follow in real time, changes in the rate of energy release and/or in the feeding sources of fluids, thus contributing to define the actual behaviour of the investigated systems (e.g. Paonita el al., 2013; 2002; Taran, 2011; Zettwood and Tazieff, 1973). The demand of pirogips starts from the personal experience in long term monitoring of gas geochemistry (e.g. Diliberto I.S, 2013; 2011; et al., 2002; Inguaggiato et al.,2012a, 2012b). Both space and time variation of surface temperature highlight change of energy and mass release from the deep active system, they reveal the upraise of deep and hot fluid and can be easily detected. Moreover a detailed map of surface temperature can be very useful for establishing a network of sampling points or installing a new site for geochemical monitoring. Water is commonly the main component of magmatic or hydrothermal fluid release and it can reach the ground surface in the form of steam, as in the high and low temperature fumaroles fields, or it can even condense just below the ground surface. In this second case the water disperses in pores or circulates in the permeable layers while the un-condensable gases reach the surface (e

Property Values Associated with the Failure of Individual Links in a System with Multiple Weak and Strong Links.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helton, Jon C. [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States); Brooks, Dusty Marie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sallaberry, Cedric Jean-Marie. [Engineering Mechanics Corp. of Columbus, OH (United States)

2018-02-01

Representations are developed and illustrated for the distribution of link property values at the time of link failure in the presence of aleatory uncertainty in link properties. The following topics are considered: (i) defining properties for weak links and strong links, (ii) cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) for link failure time, (iii) integral-based derivation of CDFs for link property at time of link failure, (iv) sampling-based approximation of CDFs for link property at time of link failure, (v) verification of integral-based and sampling-based determinations of CDFs for link property at time of link failure, (vi) distributions of link properties conditional on time of link failure, and (vii) equivalence of two different integral-based derivations of CDFs for link property at time of link failure.

Overlay Cognitive Radios With Channel-Aware Adaptive Link Selection and Buffer-Aided Relaying

KAUST Repository

Shaqfeh, Mohammad

2015-08-01

The aim of this work is to maximize the long-term average achievable rate region of a primary and a secondary source-destination pairs operating in an overlay setup over block-fading channels. To achieve this objective, we propose an opportunistic strategy to grant channel access to the primary and secondary sources based on the channel conditions in order to exploit the available multiple-link diversity gains in the system. The secondary source has causal knowledge of the primary messages and it acts as a relay of the primary source in return for getting access to the channel. To maximize the gains of relaying, the relay and destination are equipped with buffers to enable the use of channel-aware adaptive link selection. We propose and optimize different link selection policies and characterize their expected achievable rates. Also, we provide several numerical results to demonstrate the evident mutual benefits of buffer-aided cooperation and adaptive link selection to the primary and the secondary source-destination pairs. © 1972-2012 IEEE.

Overlay Cognitive Radios With Channel-Aware Adaptive Link Selection and Buffer-Aided Relaying

KAUST Repository

Shaqfeh, Mohammad; Zafar, Ammar; Alnuweiri, Hussein; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2015-01-01

The aim of this work is to maximize the long-term average achievable rate region of a primary and a secondary source-destination pairs operating in an overlay setup over block-fading channels. To achieve this objective, we propose an opportunistic strategy to grant channel access to the primary and secondary sources based on the channel conditions in order to exploit the available multiple-link diversity gains in the system. The secondary source has causal knowledge of the primary messages and it acts as a relay of the primary source in return for getting access to the channel. To maximize the gains of relaying, the relay and destination are equipped with buffers to enable the use of channel-aware adaptive link selection. We propose and optimize different link selection policies and characterize their expected achievable rates. Also, we provide several numerical results to demonstrate the evident mutual benefits of buffer-aided cooperation and adaptive link selection to the primary and the secondary source-destination pairs. © 1972-2012 IEEE.

A comprehensive comparison of network similarities for link prediction and spurious link elimination

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Peng; Qiu, Dan; Zeng, An; Xiao, Jinghua

2018-06-01

Identifying missing interactions in complex networks, known as link prediction, is realized by estimating the likelihood of the existence of a link between two nodes according to the observed links and nodes' attributes. Similar approaches have also been employed to identify and remove spurious links in networks which is crucial for improving the reliability of network data. In network science, the likelihood for two nodes having a connection strongly depends on their structural similarity. The key to address these two problems thus becomes how to objectively measure the similarity between nodes in networks. In the literature, numerous network similarity metrics have been proposed and their accuracy has been discussed independently in previous works. In this paper, we systematically compare the accuracy of 18 similarity metrics in both link prediction and spurious link elimination when the observed networks are very sparse or consist of inaccurate linking information. Interestingly, some methods have high prediction accuracy, they tend to perform low accuracy in identification spurious interaction. We further find that methods can be classified into several cluster according to their behaviors. This work is useful for guiding future use of these similarity metrics for different purposes.

Eleven quick tips for architecting biomedical informatics workflows with cloud computing

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Jason H.

2018-01-01

Cloud computing has revolutionized the development and operations of hardware and software across diverse technological arenas, yet academic biomedical research has lagged behind despite the numerous and weighty advantages that cloud computing offers. Biomedical researchers who embrace cloud computing can reap rewards in cost reduction, decreased development and maintenance workload, increased reproducibility, ease of sharing data and software, enhanced security, horizontal and vertical scalability, high availability, a thriving technology partner ecosystem, and much more. Despite these advantages that cloud-based workflows offer, the majority of scientific software developed in academia does not utilize cloud computing and must be migrated to the cloud by the user. In this article, we present 11 quick tips for architecting biomedical informatics workflows on compute clouds, distilling knowledge gained from experience developing, operating, maintaining, and distributing software and virtualized appliances on the world’s largest cloud. Researchers who follow these tips stand to benefit immediately by migrating their workflows to cloud computing and embracing the paradigm of abstraction. PMID:29596416

Eleven quick tips for architecting biomedical informatics workflows with cloud computing.

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Brian S; Moore, Jason H

2018-03-01

Cloud computing has revolutionized the development and operations of hardware and software across diverse technological arenas, yet academic biomedical research has lagged behind despite the numerous and weighty advantages that cloud computing offers. Biomedical researchers who embrace cloud computing can reap rewards in cost reduction, decreased development and maintenance workload, increased reproducibility, ease of sharing data and software, enhanced security, horizontal and vertical scalability, high availability, a thriving technology partner ecosystem, and much more. Despite these advantages that cloud-based workflows offer, the majority of scientific software developed in academia does not utilize cloud computing and must be migrated to the cloud by the user. In this article, we present 11 quick tips for architecting biomedical informatics workflows on compute clouds, distilling knowledge gained from experience developing, operating, maintaining, and distributing software and virtualized appliances on the world's largest cloud. Researchers who follow these tips stand to benefit immediately by migrating their workflows to cloud computing and embracing the paradigm of abstraction.

Eleven quick tips for architecting biomedical informatics workflows with cloud computing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian S Cole

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Cloud computing has revolutionized the development and operations of hardware and software across diverse technological arenas, yet academic biomedical research has lagged behind despite the numerous and weighty advantages that cloud computing offers. Biomedical researchers who embrace cloud computing can reap rewards in cost reduction, decreased development and maintenance workload, increased reproducibility, ease of sharing data and software, enhanced security, horizontal and vertical scalability, high availability, a thriving technology partner ecosystem, and much more. Despite these advantages that cloud-based workflows offer, the majority of scientific software developed in academia does not utilize cloud computing and must be migrated to the cloud by the user. In this article, we present 11 quick tips for architecting biomedical informatics workflows on compute clouds, distilling knowledge gained from experience developing, operating, maintaining, and distributing software and virtualized appliances on the world's largest cloud. Researchers who follow these tips stand to benefit immediately by migrating their workflows to cloud computing and embracing the paradigm of abstraction.

Sex-Linked Mating Strategies Diverge with a Manipulation of Genital Salience.

Science.gov (United States)

Fetterman, Adam K; Kruger, Nicole N; Robinson, Michael D

2015-02-01

Trivers (1972) proposed that evolutionary factors should favor divergent mating strategies for males versus females. Such differences may be less pronounced among human beings than other animals and social norms and sex roles are also pertinent influences. The present experiment ( N = 133 college undergraduates, 74 female) sought to bypass some of these other influences. Participants were randomly assigned to a condition designed to increase attention to the genital region (a downward pointing arrow) or not (an upward pointing arrow). They then reported on their interest in short-term (e.g., a one-night stand) and long-term (e.g., a potential marital partner) mating opportunities. A theory-consistent three-way interaction occurred such that the genital salience manipulation primed a shorter-term reproductive strategy among men and a longer-term reproductive strategy among women. The results provide unique support for evolution-linked ideas about sex differences in the form of a role for bodily attention.

Website Policies / Important Links | DOepatents

Science.gov (United States)

Links Website Policies / Important Links Javascript Not Enabled OSTI Security Website Policies and first) Publication Date (oldest first) Close Clear All Find DOepatents Website Policies / Important Important Links Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from

Environmental test program for superconducting materials and devices. Mid-Term Report, May 1990 - Jun. 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haertling, G.; Randolph, H.; Hsi, Chi-Shiung; Verbelyi, D.

1991-07-01

This report is divided into two parts. The first dealing with work involved with Clemson University and the second with the results from Westinghouse/Savannah River. Both areas of work involved low noise, low thermal conductivity superconducting grounding links used in the NASA-sponsored Spectroscopy of the Atmosphere using Far Infrared Emission (SAFIRE) Project. Clemson prepared the links from YBa2Cu3O(7-x) superconductor tape that was mounted on a printed circuit board and encapsulated with epoxy resin. The Clemson program includes temperature vs. resistance, liquid nitrogen immersion, water immersion, thermal cycling, humidity, and radiation testing. The evaluation of the links under a long term environmental test program is described. The Savannah River program includes gamma irradiation, vibration, and long-term evaluation. The progress made in these evaluations is discussed

Studio preliminare sul possibile utilizzo del sistema Uro-Quick per l’esecuzione rapida di antibiogrammi su ceppi provenienti da reparti di terapia intensiva

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisabetta Pezzati

2005-06-01

Full Text Available L’Uro-Quick, un sistema automatizzato ampiamente utilizzato per lo screening delle batteriurie sui campioni d’urina, è stato precedentemente impiegato per la valutazione della sensibilità agli antibiotici negli uropatogeni e per l’identificazione di resistenze ben caratterizzate veicolate da diverse specie batteriche. In questo studio sono stati esaminati utilizzando la metodica classica Kirby-Bauer per la determinazione dell’antibiotico sensibilità patogeni isolati durante il periodo settembre 2003 - marzo 2004 in reparti di terapia intensiva di un grande ospedale italiano e i risultati sono stati confrontati con quelli ottenuti con il nuovo sistema rapido Uro-Quick. L’antibiotico (in concentrazione appropriata è stato introdotto in una cuvetta Uro-Quick contenente 2 ml di Mueller-Hinton brodo, successivamente sono stati addizionati 0.5 ml di sospensione del ceppo da saggiare (5x105 CFU/ml. Una cuvetta priva di farmaco è stata utilizzata come controllo. Dopo 3 o 5 ore di incubazione (per i ceppi Gram-negativi o Gram-positivi rispettivamente i risultati sono stati interpretati nel seguente modo: l’assenza di sviluppo indicava sensibilità, mentre una curva di crescita analoga a quella del controllo rappresentava un ceppo resistente. I microrganismi Gram-negativi sono stati saggiati con ciprofloxacina (CIP, ampicillina (AM, piperacillina (PIP, aztreonam (ATM, amoxicillina-clavulanato (AMC, piperacillina/tazobactam (TZP, imipenem (IPM, ceftazidime (CAZ, cefotaxime (CTX, cefepime (CFP, cefuroxime (CXM, ceftriaxone (CRO, amikacina (AN, gentamicina (GM e trimethoprim-sulfametossazolo (SXT. I Gram-positivi, invece, sono stati saggiati con ciprofloxacina (CIP, clindamicina (CM, eritromicina (E, rifampicina (RA, ampicillina (AM, penicillina (P, oxacillina (OXA, imipenem (IPM, gentamicina (GM, streptomicina (S, tetraciclina (TE, trimethoprim – sulfametazolo (SXT, vancomicina (VA e linezolid (LZD. Sono stati esaminati 197 ceppi Gram

Rosacea and Helicobacter pylori: links and risks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lazaridou E

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Elizabeth Lazaridou,1 Chrysovalantis Korfitis,2 Christina Kemanetzi,1 Elena Sotiriou,1 Zoe Apalla,1 Efstratios Vakirlis,1 Christina Fotiadou,1 Aimilios Lallas,1 Demetrios Ioannides1 1First Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Aristotle University Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Department of Dermatology, 401 General Army Hospital, Athens, Greece Abstract: Rosacea is a chronic skin disease characterized by facial erythema and telangiectasia. Despite the fact that many hypotheses have been proposed, its etiology remains unknown. In the present review, the possible link and clinical significance of Helicobacter pylori in the pathogenesis of rosacea are being sought. A PubMed and Google Scholar search was performed using the terms “rosacea”, “H.pylori”, “gastrointestinal disorders and H.pylori”, “microorganisms and rosacea”, “pathogenesis and treatment of rosacea”, and “risk factors of rosacea”, and selected publications were studied and referenced in text. Although a possible pathogenetic link between H. pylori and rosacea is advocated by many authors, evidence is still interpreted differently by others. We conclude that further studies are needed in order to fully elucidate the pathogenesis of rosacea. Keywords: eradication, Helicobacter pylori, pathogenesis, rosacea

Deep learning quick reference useful hacks for training and optimizing deep neural networks with TensorFlow and Keras

CERN Document Server

Bernico, Michael

2018-01-01

This book is a practical guide to applying deep neural networks including MLPs, CNNs, LSTMs, and more in Keras and TensorFlow. Packed with useful hacks to solve real-world challenges along with the supported math and theory around each topic, this book will be a quick reference for training and optimize your deep neural networks.

Improving local clustering based top-L link prediction methods via asymmetric link clustering information

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhihao; Lin, Youfang; Zhao, Yiji; Yan, Hongyan

2018-02-01

Networks can represent a wide range of complex systems, such as social, biological and technological systems. Link prediction is one of the most important problems in network analysis, and has attracted much research interest recently. Many link prediction methods have been proposed to solve this problem with various techniques. We can note that clustering information plays an important role in solving the link prediction problem. In previous literatures, we find node clustering coefficient appears frequently in many link prediction methods. However, node clustering coefficient is limited to describe the role of a common-neighbor in different local networks, because it cannot distinguish different clustering abilities of a node to different node pairs. In this paper, we shift our focus from nodes to links, and propose the concept of asymmetric link clustering (ALC) coefficient. Further, we improve three node clustering based link prediction methods via the concept of ALC. The experimental results demonstrate that ALC-based methods outperform node clustering based methods, especially achieving remarkable improvements on food web, hamster friendship and Internet networks. Besides, comparing with other methods, the performance of ALC-based methods are very stable in both globalized and personalized top-L link prediction tasks.

The Chlamydomonas cell wall and its constituent glycoproteins analyzed by the quick-freeze, deep-etch technique

OpenAIRE

1985-01-01

Using the quick-freeze, deep-etch technique, we have analyzed the structure of the intact cell wall of Chlamydomonas reinhardi, and have visualized its component glycoproteins after mechanical shearing and after depolymerization induced by perchlorate or by the wall-disrupting agent, autolysin. The intact wall has previously been shown in a thin- section study (Roberts, K., M. Gurney-Smith, and G. J. Hills, 1972, J. Ultrastruct. Res. 40:599-613) to consist of a discrete central triplet bisect...

Ergodic Capacity Analysis of Free-Space Optical Links with Nonzero Boresight Pointing Errors

KAUST Repository

Ansari, Imran Shafique

2015-04-01

A unified capacity analysis of a free-space optical (FSO) link that accounts for nonzero boresight pointing errors and both types of detection techniques (i.e. intensity modulation/ direct detection as well as heterodyne detection) is addressed in this work. More specifically, an exact closed-form expression for the moments of the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a single link FSO transmission system is presented in terms of well-known elementary functions. Capitalizing on these new moments expressions, we present approximate and simple closedform results for the ergodic capacity at high and low SNR regimes. All the presented results are verified via computer-based Monte-Carlo simulations.

DC-Link Compensation Method for Slim DC Link Drives Fed by Soft Grid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mathe, Laszlo; Rosendahl Andersen, Henrik; Lazar, Radu

2010-01-01

Slim DC-link PWM (AC) drives for lowperformance applications are emerging on the market. Such drives equipped with a small DC-link capacitance exhibit instability tendencies, if installed on a soft line, giving a degraded performance. The total harmonic distortion (THD) and the partially weighted...... harmonic distortion (PWHD) of the line current are degraded, if resonance between the line impedance and the DC-link capacitance occurs. Likewise, the motor performance is affected negatively giving extra torque ripple, vibration and acoustic-noise emission. This paper proposes a novel DC-link compensation...

Value-Based Requirements Traceability: Lessons Learned

Science.gov (United States)

Egyed, Alexander; Grünbacher, Paul; Heindl, Matthias; Biffl, Stefan

Traceability from requirements to code is mandated by numerous software development standards. These standards, however, are not explicit about the appropriate level of quality of trace links. From a technical perspective, trace quality should meet the needs of the intended trace utilizations. Unfortunately, long-term trace utilizations are typically unknown at the time of trace acquisition which represents a dilemma for many companies. This chapter suggests ways to balance the cost and benefits of requirements traceability. We present data from three case studies demonstrating that trace acquisition requires broad coverage but can tolerate imprecision. With this trade-off our lessons learned suggest a traceability strategy that (1) provides trace links more quickly, (2) refines trace links according to user-defined value considerations, and (3) supports the later refinement of trace links in case the initial value consideration has changed over time. The scope of our work considers the entire life cycle of traceability instead of just the creation of trace links.

A novel mass spectrometric strategy "BEMAP" reveals Extensive O-linked protein glycosylation in Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boysen, Anders; Palmisano, Giuseppe; Krogh, Thøger Jensen

2016-01-01

The attachment of sugars to proteins via side-chain oxygen atoms (O-linked glycosylation) is seen in all three domains of life. However, a lack of widely-applicable analytical tools has restricted the study of this process, particularly in bacteria. In E. coli, only four O-linked glycoproteins have...... previously been characterized. Here we present a glycoproteomics technique, termed BEMAP, which is based on the beta-elimination of O-linked glycans followed by Michael-addition of a phosphonic acid derivative, and subsequent titanium dioxide enrichment. This strategy allows site-specific mass......-spectrometric identification of proteins with O-linked glycan modifications in a complex biological sample. Using BEMAP we identified cell surface-associated and membrane vesicle glycoproteins from Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and non-pathogenic E. coli K-12. We identified 618 glycosylated Serine and Threonine residues...

The marker: A precious link between generations and a part of the long-term safety story

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massart, Cecile

2014-01-01

High-level radioactive waste brings us face to face with a social, emotional, ethical, political and environmental situation at the heart of which lies the security of the living world. From now on, mankind has to make commitments to protect itself. Building an artistic device, a continuous creation that links and reveals the situation will inform and shed some light on the objectives. In co-operation with industries that manage geological repositories, the installation of markers above ground introduces non-technical aspects that can increase safety. In the art world, many works of art produced throughout the 20. century associate art with waste as vestiges for keeping. The use of waste has shaken the nature of art since Marcel Duchamp, the eye of Man Ray as well as the definition of the artist. The waste recycling industry has modified the way we see it. For what is waste? It embodies above all the imperfect and also a 'time capsule'. In the case that concerns us, waste stays buried in our doubt, secured by our current financial means that are substantial. The notion of time for its decay is calculated and, at the end, it vanishes. Its visibility is next to nil, whereas its presence remains very powerful and thrills the imagination. The hosting community is permeated with it. At the same time the laboratory at the disposal facility provides economic dynamism, an analysis of upheavals in this territory, an exhibition of artistic devices and an awareness of danger. The proposals that are described here are the result of a decade of research. It seems that from the beginning there has been negligence on the part of the nuclear industry regarding the storage of high-level radioactive waste. The general public is not very knowledgeable about the subject. Projects for geological disposal often give the local population the feeling of an ablation of a piece of territory. To sum it up, in the long run, we consider the study of two barriers for the safety of high

Development of extremely low wear cross-link polyethylene for 30 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oonishi, Hironobu; Fujita, Hiroshi; Kim, Seok-Cheol; Ito, Shigeru; Masuda, Shingo; Clarke, I.C.

2003-01-01

In this report we present our long-term developmental and clinical results with both highly cross-linked and extensively cross-linked polyethylene materials. Beginning in 1970s, we performed wear screening studies on ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) (GUR412) sterilized by gamma-irradiation in air (range 0 to 10,000 kGy). From these scientific studies the 1,000 kGy dose (100 Mrad) appeared optimal, and so we began clinical use in 1971, and that continued into 1978. The radiographic wear-rates in patients with 1,000 kGy sockets, assessed by radiography, appeared 6-fold reduced compared to our standard UHMWPE sockets. Note also that we had not used any post-sterilization heat treatment for these pioneering extensively cross-linked polyethylene sockets. With clinical use now over 30 years, it was also clear that there was no adverse oxidation created by any free radicals present in our extensively cross-linked polyethylene sockets. With these encouraging clinical results, we further studied laboratory wear results with the modern UHMWPE resins, using the irradiation doses 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 15,000 kGy and with both saline and serum lubricants in hip simulators. These more recent studies demonstrated that the wear in extensively cross-linked polyethylene sockets was undetectable, less even than the measurement errors in the simulator techniques. It was unfortunate that the physical properties of such extensively cross-linked polyethylene sockets did not meet the current International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Thus, despite the excellent wear performance of these materials, we decided to investigate also the properties of the 60 kGy irradiated UHMWPE. The polyethylene sheet (GUR1050) was first irradiated with 35 kGy under N2 and then heat treated to remove free radicals. The socket liners were then machined to shape and resterilized with 25 kGy under N2 gas. The

Linked Data Reactor: a Framework for Building Reactive Linked Data Applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khalili, Ali

2016-01-01

This paper presents Linked Data Reactor (LD-Reactor or LD-R) as a framework for developing exible and reusable User Interface components for Linked Data applications. LD-Reactor utilizes Facebook's ReactJS components, Flux architecture and Yahoo's Fluxible framework for isomorphic Web applications.